Where Roads Meet
by Tuesday The First
Summary: It all started with a cherry slush and the return of Dana Fabray. A Fabray Triplets fic. Warning inside.
1. Part I

Bringing this over from my livejournal.  
>Pairings: Faberry, fafafabray<br>**Warning:** Incest. Can't stomach it, don't read it. Just don't.  
><em>Enjoy.<em>

**Part I**

Cherry.

It was always Cherry. Rachel hardly flinched when the icy, corn syrup splattered across her face. The sting of it wore off giving way to the freezing ice that sent a shiver down her neck to the base of her spine making her shiver. Someone laughed down the hall and a few snickers sounded on either side of her.

Rachel dragged her hand over her face, clearing her eyes before marching back to her locker for her spare sweater. She took it off the locker hook, sniffing it once. It had been some time since she had received a slushy facial. The sweater in her locker smelt like old text books and the strange, cleaning chemical, and the closed in smell of the McKinley High hall.

Holding it away from her drenched clothes, Rachel hurried to the end of the hall restroom. It was the restroom covered in poorly washed away graffiti and a permanent smell of well…Rachel would rather not think about the stink that permeated from the stalls. But it was safe. It was safe when The Skanks weren't using it for their morning make up touch ups or lunchtime swirlies.

Being 2nd period kept Rachel in the clear.

She slipped inside just as the tardy bell rang. She disregarded it knowing she could ask Mr. Schue to write her a pass. He always did when things like this happened. Him or Miss Pillsbury but she always looked at Rachel like she had dropped an atomic bomb of germs into her office when she came in still slightly sticky. She didn't want to deal with that on most days.

Taking large gulps of air, Rachel shimmed her shirt up over her head, grimacing as the liquid in her top pressed against her face spreading more sticky mess to her skin and dropping more clots of Cherry slush into her hair. She draped it over the sink, grabbing paper towels to run under the tap and scrub what was on her arms.

She was running another wet paper towel over her face when the door creaked open. Hastily, she snatched up her clean sweater, covering herself up. She hadn't really thought about who would walk in. She was usually clear and most times out before too long. But red took longer to scrub off than blue and even purple didn't seem to hold as much dye in it as damn cherry.

"Whoa," the sleek, low alto tone coughed out followed by a laugh from the back of her throat. "That's not something you see everyday."

Rachel huffed, looking up from making sure she was all covered. She opened her mouth ready to speak, but the dark outlined hazel eyes staring back, peeking around her sweater at her scantily clasd body stopped the words on her tongue.

Her brow furrowed, mouth bobbing in something to say. Because the last time Rachel checked, Quinn's hair wasn't chopped at the shoulders or a vibrant shade of hot, hot pink. The last time she checked, Quinn was still wearing a cheerleading outfit with a simple silver cross on her neck. Not combat boots, tights and a large, silver hanging crucifix around her neck.

The restroom door shut. The infamous Quinn Fabray eyebrow hiked up over her right eye. Right eye. Quinn always did her left.

"The hell happened to you?" It was said with that same mocking laugh. Same tone, same inflection but the timbre was different - lower and darker.

Rachel shook herself out of her shock, going to cross her arms around her body but thought against it. She still wasn't wearing a shirt and this girl was still trying to see around it.

"That's a stupid question, don't you think?" Rachel said. "It's not like this is the first time this has happened and even so, it's blatantly obvious as to what happened."

"Slow down, slow down," This…this Quinn clone held up her hands. Between the fingers of her left hand was an unlit cigarette. "You look like freaking Elmo." She laughed again, reaching into the pocket of cut off jeans.

"What are you doing?" Rachel hurried over to her. She plucked the cigarette out from her fingers before the flame could touch the tip. "You can't smoke in here, or on school property for that matter, and it'll mess up your voice and, though I hate to admit it, we do need it in glee club."

"Glee club?" The same right eyebrow cocked. She snorted a laugh, sidestepping from Rachel and walked into a stall.

Rachel stared at the closed door confused. The sound of a zipper echoed in the restroom reminding Rachel of the state of dress she was in. Quickly, she pulled her arms through the new sweater, pulling at the places that stuck to her skin where she hadn't completely rubbed all the slush from.

It would have to do. She was already ten minutes late for class. After fifteen, tardy passes weren't accepted. But then again, she was Rachel Berry and could talk her way in and out of anything if she used enough big words and lengthy phrases.

The toilet flushed behind her. Rachel watched in the mirror as pink hair emerged from the stall and walked to the mirror beside her. She pulled an eyebrow pencil from behind her ear and touched it to her lower lid.

"Are you…" Rachel looked her over again. "You're not Quinn,"

"Nope," her lips popped with the word. Her lashes fluttered all thick, long and black. "And I'm sure as hell not Charlie."

"I didn't- I didn't know there was- there were three of you." Rachel said it almost disappointed.

There was already Quinn and Charlie. Quinn and her power to part the halls like they were the red sea. Quinn and her chilling leering from across the hall.

It was almost as bad as Charlie's smirking glances that she'd steal at Rachel during lunchtime or English from behind her book and over the tops of her glasses. Rachel would kindly smile her way, cheeks a tad warm and slightly red as she looked back to her own work from those piercing eyes.

This Fabray's smirk was teasing. She tucked the pencil away, turning to face Rachel. Her eyes looked her up and down, mouth open slightly so her tongue could be seen running across her teeth.

"'course not," Pushing off the sink, the third Fabray stepped towards her. The large cross on her chain clinked against a dangling peace sign as she walked. "I'm the one they didn't want anyone to know about."

She leaned into Rachel, eyes squinted as if to get a better look at her. Rachel could smell cigarette smoke coming heavy off her clothes and hair. For once she welcomed it as a relief from the stench of the filthy restroom.

Rachel blinked away from boring eyes. "What's your name?"

"What's it matter to you-" a finger pressed into the center of her forehead. "-Rachel?"

Rachel flinched at the finger, breath drawing in quick at the drop of her name. Another heated laugh fell out from split lips as the finger on Rachel's forehead slid down past her temple and along the underside of her jawbone coming off her chin with a sharp motion.

She drew back her hand, placing the tip of the finger on her tongue. "Mmm," She hummed, lips closing around it for a moment before she pulled it out. "Cherry,"

"Who are you?" Rachel asked again, running the back of her hand over her chin. Drops of melted, red slush that she missed streaked across her skin.

"You'll know my name soon enough," she snatched up the cigarette off the sink where Rachel had placed it. She waved it in front of Rachel's face teasingly before turning her back towards her and headed for the door.

"By the way," She glanced back over her shoulder, nose ring kinking up as she crunched up her nose. "Red's a shit color on you."

Rachel watched the door slowly begin to shut, the sounds of the Dana Fabray's laughter ringing in her ears before it banged shut.

-/-/-/-

It's a strange sight to see the two Fabray heads tucked together closely. Rachel spotted them across the cafeteria sitting on the large windowsill where Charlie often ate her lunch. It was a long stretch away from the Cheerio's table Quinn frequented and even farther from where Rachel plopped down at the end of the reject glee clubbers table. Not that she spoke with any of them. She kept to herself at the end, notebook opened in front of her.

Quinn's ponytail whipped as she did a double take towards the doors to the cafeteria. Charlie raised her eyebrows, following her sister's pointing finger. Rachel slowly turned her head to see what had caught their attention.

The third of them came through the doors. A girl Rachel knew to be called Mak was at her side. She only knew that's what she was called because she'd seen her etch it into the corner of a mirror with nail file in the restroom. In the yearbook Rachel knew her real name to be Francesca or something of the sort.

Her pink head to the student body was like a glowing light bulb to a fly. Eyes shifted and heads turned to the new, grunge-looking girl sauntering haughtily across the cafeteria. She held her eyes narrowed slightly and mouth the smallest bit open so it held a suggestive quirk to it.

Mak smacked a large piece of gum beside her as they walked. Her head held high lolled to the right catching the eyes of her sisters.

Rachel saw Quinn sneer in her direction while Charlie only chewed on her bottom lip with the usual unreadable expression. The third winked in her sister's direction causing Quinn to boil and Charlie's cheeks to ting pink.

Rachel diverted her gaze back to her notebook.

"Hey,"

"Don't talk to this loser, D," Mak smacked, glowering down her nose. Rachel had the faintest memory of her in the sixth grade. She had been sweet then. With pigtails and Star Trek shirts…

"Hi," Rachel nervously shifted in her seat. The eyes of others were instantly pulled to her.

Artie, Tina, Mike and Mercedes glanced over at the one they usually ignored at the base of their table. Rachel chanced another glance across the cafeteria at the others. Charlie reached an arm out to Quinn who had just gotten up. Her fingers just grazed her forearm. Quinn stormed across the cafeteria.

"Dana, c'mon," Mak tugged on the cut off sleeve of her shirt. "You've got to meet Ronnie and Sheila."

"Yeah, right, okay," She spun around stopping in her tracks coming face to face with Quinn. "Oh-"

"What are you doing?" She turned to Rachel. "Is she bothering you?"

"I- No- She's not-" Rachel stumbled.

Quinn ignored her. "What are you doing?"

"Nice to see you too, big sis,"

Rachel bounced from one to the other. Deciphering Quinn from Charlie had been difficult. They were almost exact splitting images of one another. Their eyes the same shade of hazel and hair the same color of blonde though Quinn's roots were starting to turn a little brown. If it weren't for the Cheerio's uniform, they would hardly be a separation unless one of them opened their mouth.

Dana was slightly different. Regardless the obvious, her eyes had a tint of green in the irises and her height put her three inches higher then Quinn. Calling her big sis was a stab. Rachel saw Quinn roll her eyes at it, hands going firmly to her hips.

"Why are you still here?" Quinn snarled to Mak.

The Skank popped her gum loudly, rolling her eyes before stomping off. Rachel was impressed. Not even the ones as hardcore as The Skanks stood up to Quinn Fabray.

She whipped back around on Dana. "What are you doing here?"

"What's wrong, Quinnie?" She nudged the Quinn's chin with the knuckle of her index finger. "Miss me?"

She smacked it away. Hard. "Stop it,"

"Didn't daddy tell you violence is never the answer?"

"No, but I remember him telling you that," Quinn steeped closer, chest out and neck pulled to it's longest trying to gain any sort of height. "Right before he sent you away."

Hazel green flashed to Rachel. She ducked her head down pretending like she wasn't listening. Her falter brought a wicked smile to Quinn's face.

"You're not supposed to be at this school,"

"It's big enough for the two of us," she paused, head tilted the direction of Charlie. She had a book pulled up to her nose but her eyes were watching them the entire time. "Or three of us"

"Dad said-"

"Dad says a lot of things. When will you learn you can't always listen to him?"

"Look where that got you,"

Dana coughed a laugh, fingers pinching at a strand of pink hair. She twirled it between the pads of her fingers. "It got me somewhere. Unlike you,"

"You think you're better-"

"Shh," a finger pressed into Quinn's lips causing her to squeak in surprise. Dana rotated her head all around them. "There are people watching,"

Quinn's mouth opened like she was about to say something but shut it instantly once she saw Rachel. Her brow creased inwards.

"What are you looking at, hm?" Rachel blinked sheepishly a few times, darting her eyes away from the two sisters. "Mind your own business, dwarf."

"Temper, temper," Dana teased, making a ticking sound with her mouth.

"Shut up, Dana," Another set of red and white Cheerio skirts fluttered into the cafeteria. "I'm not done with you." She hissed.

Quinn looked Dana down once more and hurried over to Santana and Brittany, throwing backwards glance over her shoulder at her and Dana before Brittany hooked an arm around her elbow and guided her to the Cheerios table.

"You deal with that?"

It took Rachel a moment before she realized Dana was speaking to her. She drew her eyes back up from her notebook shrugging. Dana scoffed, straightening out her tangled chains before walking away.

Rachel didn't miss the separate pairs of golden eyes that were piercing her from different parts of the cafeteria.

-/-/-/-

Charlie sighed, stuffing the books she didn't need for homework into her locker in exchange for the ones she did. She held her head half hidden behind the metal, hoping it would hide her from-

"Charlotte,"

She cursed silently into the cavern of her locker. She shut it, turning to Dana leaning against the one next to hers.

"You're not going to be mean too are you?"

Walk away, she told herself but the wounded look in her sister's eyes kept her in place. Even if it was a trick to reel her in. "What are you doing here, D?"

"God, has everyone forgotten that I do live here?"

"N-no," she dropped her eyes away from the pair so much like her own but weren't at all. "Dad didn't say you were back."

"He doesn't know yet,"

Charlie gasped. "Who are you staying with?"

"Unlike my own family, there are people around here that accept me."

"Don't talk like that," Charlie looked everywhere but her as she spoke. "You know I do." She muttered almost inaudible.

The smile on Dana's face burned in Charlie's chest. She fought against her own smile but couldn't help it. It had been so long since she had seen that smile. Even if it had been late at night, down in the basement, arms holding her up against a wall and skin sliding against skin…

She shivered involuntarily.

Dana's smile turned smug. "Then you can help me. Make dad take me back."

"You know he won't,"

"But he never says no to you,"

Soft fingers touched the arch of her cheekbone. Her fingers were cold but all Charlie could feel was heat. "But Quinn-"

"He never says no to you, Charlotte."

Another shudder coursed through her. No one called her Charlotte the way Dana did. It was always laced with a sort of hearty affection and sensual undertones that sent her into such a high- no. She wasn't supposed to think those things. She shouldn't.

"I'll try," she found her voice. People were watching the two of them as they passed by.

Charlie had heard it all day. The confusion as to who the new girl with the pink hair that looked like the Fabray sister's. Charlie hadn't believed it was Dana at first. The last she had seen her sister - younger by an hour than she and Quinn - she had chopped blonde hair with pink highlights. The cut had been a stab at their father. The pink had been the twist of the hilt. What he discovered had been the gutting of his insides. She could only imagine what he'd say now.

"I knew I could count on you," Dana offered a smile, peeling off the locker.

"Where are you staying?" she blurted before Dana could get away.

She laughed softly catching it in Charlie's voice. "I'll call you,"

"But dad-"

"Charlotte," those fingers were on her face again, smoothing over her eyebrows.  
>Everything inside of her told her to back away. But Charlie had always had a problem from staying away from the younger triplet. She had a big problem with staying away. "I'll call you,"<p>

"Okay,"

She was suddenly freezing in her sweater at the absence of fingers and blazing pink hair.

And she hated herself for it.

-/-/-/-

"Runt's back then, huh?"

Quinn rolled her eyes angrily. She fell into the chair next to Santana angrier at the world than she had been that morning in Cheerios practice where coach kept drilling into them.

Hallway whispers didn't make it any better and Santana was just adding onto the fire by bringing it up. She was stupid to think the glee kids wouldn't say anything. Especially the two who had known her the longest. It struck up conversation at the beginning of rehearsal. Questions flew at her about who Dana was, where she had been, why no one knew about her, why she just showed up out of the blue.

She was saved from spontaneous combustion by Mr. Schue's entrance into the choir room. He asked for clarity as to what all the gossip was about. Finn explained.

"Your sister?" Mr. Schue turned to her.

"Can we drop it now?" Quinn snapped. She didn't want to deal with it there too. Not in glee club. It had been her only escape. "I have another sister. We're triplets. She has pink hair. The end. Can we please just start rehearsal now?"

Mr. Schue clapped his hands ending the discussion and launched into the lesson for the day. Out the corner of her eye, Quinn caught Rachel staring at her. She sneered back annoyed. Though, Quinn realized once Mr. Schue started to sing some old hip-hop song that Rachel had been silent the entire time.

"I thought it was cotton candy on her head," Brittany started, leaning over Santana to whisper to her. "I tried to pick some off during history."

Quinn pinched the bridge of her nose.

Santana smiled at her affectionately. "Why didn't you tell us your sister was back?"

"Why would I? She was gone for a reason." she shuddered at the memory. At all of it. She shuddered again remembering the parts that involved her. "I didn't even know she was back until today. I found out when you all found out."

"What's daddy dearest think about that?"

"No one knows, S," She said with a tone of finality. "No one but us. Now drop it."

-/-/-/-

No one else knew. No one else knew except for Shelby Corcoran.

Dana watched Shelby pull up to the house. She still felt a little weird staying at a complete stranger's place but Shelby had been nice when she saw her sitting outside of the grocery store asking for some kind of money for food.

Sure, she had only been kind because she knew the Fabray's and Shelby couldn't get over how much she looked like the Fabray's daughters.

She spilt it there. Shelby's lips made an oh. The next thing Dana knew, she was eating breadsticks across from this choir teacher and crashing on her couch.

"You know you could go inside," she shrugged, taking a long drag of her cigarette. She hadn't always smoked. She had picked it up somewhere between the time she left to he return.

"And no smoking in or within twenty feet of the house." she reached out to snatch it.

Dana drew back, getting one more drag before putting it out beneath her boots. Shelby didn't look annoyed or upset but maybe a tad frazzled. She hadn't stopped staring at Dana like she'd suddenly sprout long blonde hair and a cheerleading uniform. Or maybe even a baby doll dress and wedges.

She jumped off the step, following after Shelby inside.

Shelby's house smelt like wood polish. She fingered it was because of the piano she had in the room to the right of the front door. It spread a dull, lemon musk with a twinge of what Dana matched with wet firewood in the winter.

Everything was nice and neat and in place. It reminded her of home. Home with Quinn and Charlie and her parents. Not the stark white and gray institution she had been living in the last four years.

There were no children around and no signs of their being any. Even though photos of a smiling girl with chestnut hair lined the fireplace.

"That's Rachel," Shelby told her when she had caught her staring at them. "But you probably already knew that."

Vaguely. Even when Dana lived at home, they didn't know a lot of the neighboring kids. Their dad had all his daughters attend better schools - private schools. Quinn and Charlie only went to McKinmey because Russell got caught in the recession and money got tight. Yet, somehow, he had enough to admit her into a center three states away with the intentions on fixing her and her ungodly, blasphemes ways.

She'd keep quiet that it was consensual. She'd hold it to herself that his perfect, precious baby girl Quinn wasn't spotless herself. Because Dana didn't rat people out. She took the fall alone.

"Hungry?" Shelby called from the kitchen.

She snapped her eyes away from the photos of Rachel. It was weird that this woman kept pictures of a girl she had no connection with. But she saw the matching eyes and the similar jaw. Rachel may not know it, but blood connected them and for whatever reason, Shelby hadn't let Rachel in on that tiny fact.

"How was school?" asked Shelby.

Dana twirled spaghetti around her fork. She wasn't hungry. She hadn't been hungry all day. After seeing Quinn and talking to Charlie, her appetite had drained.

"I met your daughter," She said instead of the real facts.

The real facts was that school sucked and McKinley sucked. More often than not, she wished she were back in West Virginia at the institute or cooped up in her aunt's home that smelt of mothballs and Glade air fresheners. But her aunt thought that Russell said she could come back and Dana used the tiny wad of cash she earned working at the washeteria to get herself back to Lima. Back to Charlie.

Well, when she thought about Charlie and maybe even Quinn, to an extent, things didn't suck so much. Shelby had a nice home and she didn't call any foster agencies or CPS or anything. So maybe it was only her hurt feelings of being obviously rejected by Quinn and not trusted by Charlie that made her long for Better Tomorrows Institute For Girls.

Shelby's fork scratched across the bottom of her plate. "Rachel?" Dana nodded. "How is she?"

"A social pariah," She said, bluntly. "We'll get along great."

"Maybe," Was all she said to that, her eyes dropping away and sad. She barely picked at her food after that and Dana felt guilty for bringing it up.

But Rachel stuck in the back of her mind as she striped the blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped herself in it. Her back was to the pictures in the house, but Dana remembered Rachel's dark chocolate eyes and her light, tanned skin framed by dark hair.

She remembered the uncertainty in her eyes in the restroom and the way she coward at Quinn's words.

Quinn.

Dana turned over on the couch, wiggling her legs to throw the blanket back over her legs. If she wanted to get anywhere near her dad again, to get back home, she needed Quinn to forgive her. She needed Quinn to fight for her because Charlie could only do so much. She needed to win Quinn back.


	2. Part II

**Part II**

"Again!" Quinn yelled.

The Cheerio's groaned as they pulled out of the ending pose of their routine only to reassemble for the very beginning. Quinn marched to the center of the group once she saw everyone in position. Santana shot her a glare off to her left that she ignored. She gave the cue for Becky to hit play on the CD player. Britney Spears and Madonna blared at them. Quinn clapped her hands and the routine went on.

Her hands ached from how hard she was clapping and her face hurt from slipping from her cheer face into the scowl that found permanence on her face ever since Dana showed up.

Two cheerleaders lifted her up, and Quinn grabbed her foot behind her head. From the height, she could see the entire field. She could see where some of the football guys were shoving a helpless boy into a port-o-potty most likely headed by Puck. Just behind them were the bleachers. The aluminum seats obstructed her view, but Quinn could see the dark clothes of the Skanks between them.

A flash of pink told her Dana was down there and Quinn's face fell again.

How long had it been? Two? Three? Four years since she had seen Dana. After the first year she was gone, she didn't even make a show at Holidays. Quinn thought it wise. Their dad never let Dana out of his sight then and often put Frannie to keep watch on them. But by then, Quinn didn't dare do anything again and she made damn well sure Charlie wasn't roped in.

Quinn pinched her eyes shut in partial disgust. She'd never forget any of it. The secret she was forced to keep about her two sisters. It pained her, it made her want to scream and tell them to stop every night she heard Charlie's door open and shut in the dead of night. But even Quinn fell victim to Dana's swift words and her curiosity drew her down those steps into the basement and right into Dana's-

She cut off her mind there. With Dana gone, things had been good. Her dad was off her back and Charlie had just started to live again. She hated Dana for what happened, but she hated her more for shouldering it all. She hated her for making them seem so innocent and hated her for showing back up and flushing everything Quinn tried to fix down the drain.

But most of all, she hated the fact she was more than ecstatic to see her rebellious sister more than she'd like to admit.

Her feet it the ground just as the music ended. Her lungs expanded to yell again, but it was Santana's voice that called out.

"Hit the showers," Santana commanded. Quinn's jaw dropped at her defiance but said nothing. "We'll perfect it tomorrow."

The squad hesitated to go. "Well, get out of here," Quinn added. They scurried off towards the locker room. Santana and Brittany hung back until the last of them limped off the field.

"What's your deal?" Santana snapped. "Are you trying to make half of us drop before competition?"

Quinn fell onto the grass beside her water bottle. "Sorry,"

"Something's wrong," Brittany noted, filling her water bottle up with the lukewarm water in a large gatorade cooler. "What's wrong, Q?"

"Nothing," Her fingers didn't get the top off fast enough. She sloshed water onto her uniform in haste to drink it down.

"Does this have to do with your damn sister?"

"What?" She nearly choked. "No,"

"You sure because ever since her bubblegum top came into this school, you've been acting like someone lodged a very jagged stick up your ass."

Quinn busied herself with trying to dab the damp patches on her skirt dry. "It's not Dana,"

"Then what?" Santana fell down next to her. "Just let Hudson lay you already."

"Just leave it alone," She bolted up from the ground. Brittany extended her arm for her to hold onto until her vision came back. "Leave it alone and leave me alone. Okay?"

"Fine,"

"Hit the showers. Both of you," She tried to keep the edge in her voice, but Santana had struck that chord even more and her voice shook. "You're half the reason why we had to keep doing that routine over and over again."

Quinn didn't wait to hear Santana's cut back at her. She snatched up her bottle and towel and hurried off the field towards the locker room. She veered off another direction already knowing the pitiful glares and the sulking glances she'd get from the squad.

It had been wrong to push the others because of her problems, but her mind was too clouded and her chest burned and her eyes were stinging with another onslaught of tears.

Quinn fell into the auditorium. Were it the beginning of the year, before glee became a part of her life, Quinn would never once find herself in the stuffy hall. But it provided a place of solace that no one else would disturb. No one else except for Rachel Berry who sat at a piano pushed off to stage right.

She slipped inside, quietly making her way to the back most seats. She fell down onto the floor with her back against the side of one. Between the chairs, she could see Rachel on the piano bench, fingers poking at keys at random.

Quinn ignored her just like she had ignored her for the first year and a half of high school. But it became harder in the past days because Dana had spoken to Rachel and Rachel had looked at her like she knew who Dana was. Quinn wouldn't allow that. She wouldn't allow Dana to come in and start toying around with Rachel the same way she had strung along Charlie and the same way she had reeled in Quinn.

Rachel began to play a melody. It wasn't as skilled and perfect like Brad, but it showed Rachel had had some sort of piano lessons under her belt. It wasn't a song Quinn knew, but it was gentle and didn't hit any minor chords.

She leaned her head back against the armrest, letting the song calm her down and shooting her eyes up to the ceiling. Dinner the night Dana showed at school told her their parents didn't know she was back. They may not have spoken about her in years, but her arrival would've triggered a conversation.

Charlie had locked herself into her room that night. Quinn didn't see her until the morning when they had to ride together. Even so, her nose was stuck in a book, blocking Quinn out all over again.

She seethed where she sat, the music not able to hold her nerves calm. She missed Dana, she was glad to see her face again and hear her haughty voice, but she was hurting Charlie again. And she was pissing Quinn off. And she was screwing up their life all over again.

"Sounds nice,"

The voice seeped into Quinn's ears like hot, thick poison that churned her insides that made her want to smile and retch at the same time.

Her eyes shot open, finding Rachel on the stage. Across from her on the opposite side of the stage stood Dana, eyes too focused and determined on Rachel to be innocent.

-/-/-/-

Rachel's hands slammed onto the keys at the voice behind her. She didn't need to try and place the voice. It was already engraved into her mind along with hazel green eyes and hot pink.

She recovered, spinning around on the slick wood of the piano bench to see Dana striding across the stage towards her. Her chains clinked as she walked and the jacket she wore around her waist slapped against milky legs that spilled out from cut off short shorts.

Rachel brought her eyes back up. For a moment she saw Quinn in them and half expected an insult to fall out of Dana's mouth. But the tug at the side of Dana's mouth drew that away. Quinn never gave her even that much of a smile before.

"Hey,"

"Hi?"

"I'm not Quinn, relax," She laughed. "I didn't know you played."

"You don't really know me at all, and even so I'd doubt you'd know very much about me. People don't make it a point to know anything about me but the rumors and you're sister is probably the worst."

"Again," Dana said slowly, eyes rolling. "I'm not Quinn,"

"I know, but, you just look…" She trailed off at the headshake she was getting. Rachel realized just as much as she hated hearing people comment about her having two dads, Dana must've hated hearing how much she looked like Quinn.

"Is there something you wanted? People don't usually come to the auditorium and I should know because I spend most of my time in here."

"Why?"

"Because I-" She was taken aback by the question. No one had asked because it was obvious. "Because I often times don't have people to spend time with. So," She waved to the piano. "I find my companionship in music."

"But you're not that good,"

Rachel tossed her hair over her shoulder, offended. "One does not have to excel in something to find comfort in it."

"Uh huh," Dana rounded the bench falling onto the empty place beside her.

Her fingers curved and pressed down a random chord. It clashed, made Rachel cringe, but she kept her mouth shut letting Dana tinker away.

"What do you want?" Rachel asked once she found her voice.

Her index finger banged out the opening tune of a song Rachel knew. She hit a wrong note and started over. "You," Dana replied simply.

Rachel nearly fell off the bench. "Excuse me?"

"What is glee club?"

"It's like a show choir," She said, recovering once again. A few more notes and Dana had mapped out Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Rachel almost clapped at her success.

"A show choir?" She repeated the song.

Rachel nodded. "We learn a myriad of songs, dance numbers and routines and perform them at competitions. If you're interested in joining, there is still a sign up sheet tacked to the bulletin board right outside the-"

"Quinn's in glee?"

"Y-yes, she is,"

"Is she any good?"

"Well she- I'm not-" She shifted uncomfortably. Dana noticed her hesitation and glanced at her. She missed a note and started over. "Her voice isn't one of our strongest but she does have excellent skills in dance and the alto she provides does take some strain off Santana."

"That's it?"

"I'm sorry?"

Her fingers lifted off the keys. She turned to face Rachel, throwing a leg over so she straddled the bench. "I just sign up and I'm in?"

"Oh," Rachel forced her eyes not to peer down where Dana's shorts had ridden up at the crotch. "I wasn't aware that you wanted to join. But, no, you have to do an audition. Sing a song."

"What kind of song?"

"Anything that you deem suitable for the type of voice that you have."

Dana picked at a flake of black nail polish on her pinkie. "What would you sing?"

"Me? Oh." She blinked, not ready for the question. "Well, I have many selections I like to choose from. Most include Broadway musicals with a smaller selection of pop. I believe my voice is more versed for show tunes so-"

She picked off the last bits of polish. "Show me,"

"I'm sorry?" Rachel quickly tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her ear.

Dana ran her fingers along the piano. "I play, you sing. Any song. Go."

"But you can't play…" She trailed off at Dana's bored look. "I suppose I can sing something I've been working again on recently. Do you know_ On My Own_ from the Broadway musical_ Les Miserable_?"

"I know everything, Rach,"

She choked out a tiny laugh at the nickname. This definitely wasn't Quinn and it wasn't door mouse Charlie. Rachel didn't quit understand who Dana Fabray was, but she was…okay.

Another stroke of keys startled Rachel. "Get to singing," Dana pushed her off the bench.

Rachel quickly got up, rounding the piano to stand beside it. She smoothed down the back of her skirt. "I'll let you know that I haven't warmed up this morning so my voice may be-"

"Sing!"

Rachel took in a breath and sang.

It had been a while since she'd sung the song. Old MySpace videos seemed long ago. She was better now, her range had expanded and her performance had improved from being in glee.

Her voice filled up the empty auditorium like a sold out show. She looked over at Dana who was sitting at the piano, ghosting her hands over the keys pretending to play but never touching a note. Rachel closed her eyes as the notes went up.

Her hand pressed against her diaphragm, the other stretched out at her side as she pushed out the climax of the song. She took in a breath, eyes opening again and locking with green hazel that were staring so intently into her, Rachel almost lost her breath.

"I love him…" She sang into the silence after the top ringing note. "I love him. I…..love him." Rachel sucked in a small breath, eyes holding with Dana as she finished it out. "But only on my own,"

The theatre buzzed quiet. Rachel fought to get control of her racing heart and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Her eyes darted around Dana's face, trying to understand what her parted lips and wide, bright eyes meant but she drew a blank. As always, with any of them, she drew a blank.

"You can," Rachel cleared her throat. "You can sing about anything for your audition as long as you know your voice can carry it."

"Pick one for me," Dana said after a moment. Her face skewed back to normal.

"Oh-okay. I don't know what your voice sounds like,"

"You've heard Quinn sing. It's not very different."

But it was. Dana's voice sounded more ragged, more sultry and dark. "Okay. I'll try. I can search through my library and bring you some selections during lunch?"

"Sure," She shrugged, sliding off the piano bench. Her fingers subconsciously tugged her shorts down at the crotch. Even so, there was not enough fabric to hide her legs. "Lunch then?"

"Lunch," Rachel gave a terse nod.

"By the way," Dana paused at the steps to off the stage. "Stick to singing. You're shit at piano."

Rachel stomped her foot, face burning up in anger, but Dana's laugh bouncing off the walls of the auditorium was enough to whisk it away and pull a small smile onto her face.

Finally. Someone had listened to her really sing. Really sing.

-/-/-/-

Miss Pillsbury's office reminded her of the institute. It reeked of sterilization and cleaners that Dana had spent hours scrubbing floors and toilets with for years.

She fidgeted in the chair, keeping her eyes from falling on Miss Pillsbury as much as she could. It was too much like counseling sessions at the institute where the women would ask them to think back to when they were little girls and why it is they developed feelings for the other girls on the playground or even the other girls that shared one third of her genes instead of the scraggily boys wrestling near the black top.

Dana had wanted to scream and throw every vase with the neatly arranged plants and kick a hole through the wall each session. But she played along and she answered their questions all the while hoping that the better she acted, the quicker she would go home.

But a year passed and she was sent right back on down the night of Christmas after a terrible holiday. Another year passed and she never saw their faces though Charlie had called her a few times. Two more years passed and she was still answering stupid questions and crossing her fingers that someone would phone for her or send for her.

Nothing.

"Miss Fabray,"

"Dana," She corrected once again. Miss Fabray was something reserved for goody goods like Quinn. "Just Dana,"

"Yes, right. Dana," Miss Pillsbury smoothed out her skirt and straightened out the already orderly line on pencils on her desk. "So. You're new,"

A week and a half late but, "Yes,"

"And you're-"

"Quinn and Charlotte's sister. The long lost triplet."

"Triplets?" Miss Pillsbury looked genuinely surprised. "Three of you. Well, that's certainly something remarkable."

"Is there a reason you wanted to speak with me, Miss Pillsbury?"

"Yes. You see, I've seen you with the Skanks,"

It wasn't what she really wanted to talk about. Asking her where she thought her life was going by hanging with the rowdy bunch when she knew very well that the Fabray's were better off than that. It took Dana a dozen questions, switching the conversation around to find out that Charlie met with Miss Pillsbury on a near day to day basis and,

"You've come up on numerous occasions," She covered her mouth just as quick as the information came out. "You're not supposed to know that. Everything that is said in my office is confidential."

"It's okay. I already knew," She lied.

She didn't know Charlie spoke to anyone about anything. Especially not about her. She thought she had dropped out of the minds of her sister's and was no longer something worth even a small mention of who she was.

"Thank goodness," Her chest deflated in relief.

Dana deflected the next set of questions. The ones she'd been hearing everyone in school asking since she came. She couldn't risk word reaching Russell from the mouth of idiot students and she was almost certain Miss Pillsbury would send a note or make a call to him about the cause of Charlie's absence from meeting with the counselor or her strange behavior since she came.

"Is that all?"

"I believe that is all," She said and Dana stood. "Dana. If there's anyone you need to speak with, my door is always open."

"Thank you, Miss Pillsbury," She forced a smile and squeezed out of the door.

She didn't miss the glare of glasses and the flash of blonde hair around a corner just as Rachel came skipping up to her about song choices for her glee audition. She almost brushed Rachel off to follow after Charlie, but the large binder in her arms kept her from ditching her.

"No showtunes," Dana said quickly when she saw something with _The Music Man_written on the front.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Not everything in this binder is for you. Here,"

She slid a couple things across the cafeteria table. Dana looked through the artist. Katy Perry, Melody Gardot, Tegan and Sara…She picked up the last and laughed.

"Really?"

Rachel blushed. "I thought your voice might fit it and seeing as you have a sister-"

"This has nothing to do with them, got it?" She saw Rachel chew her lip, nodding. Her tone softened. "What else do you have?"

Rachel began sifting through more artists and certain songs. Honestly Dana's attention was pulled away from it all. She could feel the eyes on her back, boring into her like a spear. Off to the right, she saw Mak and Sheila sneering in her direction. She winked at them and looked away.

"There's always the option of turning a duet into a solo," Rachel said.

Dana blinked over to her. Shelby was written all over her face and even more so in her powerful voice. Not that Dana heard Shelby sing often. But sometimes, early in the morning, she'd hear her belting out from the shower.

Dana would sit up on the couch, head tilted to listen better. The depth of her voice warmed up her all the way to her freezing toes like a hot water stream of a shower would. She was good, amazing even. It was reflected just the same in her daughter. Because when Rachel sang, Dana felt the fullness of it press into her and burn like heat in her chest.

"Who do you live with?" She asked suddenly.

Rachel stopped in explaining the ways a duet could be formed into a solo, body going rigid and face going blank in defense. "Who do I live with?" She nodded. "I live with my two gay dads…who are very much in love and have been the best parents I have-"

"What happened to your mom?" She cut her off, annoyance seeping into her voice. She knew why Rachel was so quick to throw in the explanation about her parents. People like her own damn sister and close minded father.

"I've never known my mom,"

"No contact?"

She tucked her hair back in nervous habit. "Closed adoptions don't exactly open many opportunities for that."

"Sorry for bringing it up,"

"It's okay," She said in a way that told Dana it wasn't all that okay. "I've never known her so it makes it easier not to miss something you've never had."

"Yeah," Her eyes flickered across the cafeteria where she knew Charlie should be sitting with her sack lunch and a book cracked op on her lap.

She quickly looked away, picking up a sheet of music at random and threw it at Rachel. "Make a copy of this for me and have it learned by next week."

"A duet?" Her eyes followed her as Dana got up. "You want to sing with me?"

She winked, happy to see the chagrin from their conversation slipping away. "Don't let me down, Rach,"

-/-/-/-

If it weren't for the books in her bag already over due, Charlie would've avoided the library all together. But the late fee was already in the double digits and her allowance had been running low.

The librarian took her money, telling her that her card was on suspension for three days for over holding books but she was still allowed to browse.

"Thank you," She said smiling, doing her best to ignore the bright head that poked from behind a book.

Leave, her mind demanded, but her feet dragged her away from the front desk and over to where Dana stood near the front of the fiction section. She was five paces away from her, when she moved, taking them deep into the stacks and away from prying ears.

"Your shrink is nice,"

"Who else could I talk to?"

"Quinn?"

"That's a joke," Her jaw dropped when realization sunk in. "What did she tell you?"

"Nothing," She said. "Confidentiality, remember?"

"Then how- she doesn't tell dad anything. If you're worried."

"I'm not," Charlie watched her step passed her, running a finger along the spines of the books. "It's someone for you to talk to."

"You're not mad?" Dana shook her head and Charlie relaxed.

They had promised to never tell anyone. That order hadn't come from them as much as it came from Russell but they already knew not to. But keeping secret the things they would do in the night wasn't as hard as lying to people in school where Dana had gone. And each time, Charlie would tear up and Quinn would intervene and scold her for being weak and to forget about her.

"No one else knows,"

"Okay," She shrugged. Dana picked up a book with a plain, red cover. She opened it to the center, eyes scanning the words.

"What," Charlie started. "What were you doing with Rachel?"

She smiled, attention still drawn into the book. It couldn't have been very interesting. Her eyes were moving too fast to take in the words. "I need her,"

"You shouldn't mess with her," Charlie warned then looked away.

Dana peered over her shoulder, right eyebrow cocked and head titled. "Why not? Everyone else in this school seems to have their fun with her."

"D, don't. Rachel. She's-" She fished for the right words, but everything that came to mind made her cheeks red and her face hot. "She doesn't need to be mixed up in this."

Her feet took her backwards as Dana walked towards her, eyes reading her face better than she had read the book in her hand. "I think you already did that by getting a crush on her," Charlie gasped. Dana smirked. "I won't tell anyone."

"What- what do you want with her?"

"Her?" She stepped forward. Charlie couldn't help but be pressed against the stacks. "Nothing,"

"Why were you with her?"

"Why are you defending her?" Ouch. "What about us?" Her voice dipped, head ducking down so their eyes were level. "Don't you love me?"

"I love you, D. You know I do." She pushed her hands into her shoulders, turning away from her. She couldn't get stuck in her eyes again. "But not like that. Not anymore."

"That's not true," She pushed against her again. "Whatever dad told you was lies."

"What if it's not?"

Dana's jaw flexed, anger pulling in her brow. "Don't let him control you like he does Quinn,"

"Quinn loves you, too," She pleaded. "She's always been worried about you. Ever since dad found out. She's never forgiven herself."

"Sure has a way of showing it,"

"She's not so bad," She tried because Quinn wasn't.

Quinn tried to help her get over it. She tried to help them live life again. But Charlie wasn't the one who felt pure vial disgust at the mention of Dana. Quinn was the one who still scrubbed too hard, trying to erase Dana's touches from her skin. Charlie wished she still felt them as intense as she had before.

"I want to come home, Charlotte." Dana leaned forward, pushing Charlie farther back against the shelf. "Don't you want me back?"

"Yes," Charlie closed her eyes for a moment, feeling Dana press into her. "But not like this,"

"I miss you,"

Her breath was hot against her face. Charlie opened her eyes, breath hitched in her throat at how close Dana's lips hovered over hers.

Past nights flooded her mind. The first time. Dana tilted her head back and taking her lips in such an innocent kiss, she never thought anything of it. But it was too innocent. Not enough to satisfy deep cravings.

Things progressed. Mouths left lips to find necks and hands groped though fabric. Clothes were inched away and skin burned skin in the most pleasant of ways.

She cried the first time Dana touched her, finally easing the pulsing between her legs and pooled heat at the base of her stomach. She cried into her shoulder, saying they had gone too far. That it was never supposed to get as far as it had.

"I love you, Charlotte," Dana had whispered into her ear, peppering kisses across her shoulders.

"I love you, Dana," she had choked out, accepting the lips that found hers again and the lips that teased her until her sister's name echoed off her lips in pleasure.

"D, no," She pushed against her shoulders but her attempt was weak.

Dana rested her hands on her hips, holding her in place. "You didn't call me for two years,"

"I'm sorry,"

"I thought you forgot about me,"

"Never,"

Her forehead fell against hers. "Then why?" She forced herself to look up into Dana's eyes. The hurt she found there punched her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her. She felt her stomach drop. "Why didn't you call?"

Charlie cupped her face in her palm, eyes shut tight. "Quinn said-"

"Quinn never understood us," She said through her teeth. Charlie shook her head, agreeing.

"Quinn could never understand us," it was what Dana said almost every night Charlie brought her up. That if Quinn found out, the inevitable would happen.

They hadn't anticipated for her to sneak up on them and Dana wasn't prepared when Quinn wrapped her arms around her from behind, running her hands down her bare stomach and dipping just below the waistband of her pants before whispering, "Show me,"

Those words hadn't been spoken since then. Hearing them again brought back everything. Every stroke, every kiss, every spat of guilt and fear. It brought back the pain of watching Dana getting ripped away from them and shoved into a car.

"Quinn was trying to help me," she said finally.

Dana laughed at the back of her throat. "Did she?"

No. "I don't know," She still thought of Dana.

Having her gone had helped, but she couldn't erase the memories that the walls seemed to whisper to her in the night. Her crush on Rachel was a failed attempt on pushing her sister out of her mind. But Rachel could never be anything like Dana.

She felt her chest ease in a sigh. Arms came up to ring around her neck, holding Charlie in place. She was trapped. "I want to come home"

It was more of a whine than anything. "Okay," she felt her defeat with the simple word.

"Help me?"

Her resolve broke, crumbling away the same way her life had when Dana was taken from them. "Okay," Charlie nodded with eyes still closed. "Okay,"

"I love you,"

"I know," Charlie said, tilting her face up so their noses bumped. "I love you too, D,"

The taste of her lips had never been so bitter and so sweet.


	3. Part III

**Part III**

Charlie chewed on the eraser of her pencil. She stared up at her door, waiting for the next set of knocks to wrap at the wood. It wasn't the first time Quinn had come knocking. But usually she gave up after the first two tries.

A third came, followed by Quinn's voice. "Charlotte, open the door." She begged, voice having lost its normal edge. "We need to talk. You know we need to talk."

Pushing her English assignment away, Charlie hurried to the door, cracking it enough to see a sliver of Quinn in the dark hallway. "Yes?"

"Let me in," Quinn pushed against the door but she held it still. "You can't keep shutting me out and dad's going to find out Dana's back soon enough. Then what?"

Then what, was right. Charlie stepped back, letting Quinn enter. She closed the door, locking it before moving to sit on the edge of the bed. Charlie walked slowly back to her desk, keeping her eyes on Quinn.

Days had passed since the library. Days had passed, and still Charlie could feel Dana's lips smoldering and slick with minty chapstick against hers. Everyday, Charlie waited for Quinn to come running and screaming at her because she had given in, because she wasn't making things easier, because she was just putting them back into the predicament they were in only four years back.

"What are we going to do?" Quinn asked. Her hazel eyes turned up on her looking sad and conflicted. "Dad's not going to like this. Why didn't Aunt Kris tell us?"

"I don't know. Dana won't tell me anything."

"Where is she living?" Charlie shrugged. "Knowing her, she's probably made friends with one arm Larry and crashing with him."

"I don't think so…" Dana was too well off to be living on the streets and she was too good with her words to fail in convincing someone to let her crash at their place if only for a few days. "We have to tell mom,"

Quinn blanched. "Are you stupid?"

"I said mom not dad. She might help,"

"Because she helped so much when dad was tossing Dana into that car. We didn't even know where it was taking her. Not even mom. Not until Easter."

Charlie pinched her eyes shut at the memory. Of Russell grabbing her up around the waist when she tried to run back, picking her up like she weighed no more than a feather.

"Don't let him do this!" Dana had screamed, punching Russell and kicking as hard as she could. "Charlotte!" She called out, arm reaching out towards her.

She had started to run for her, fingers just making it to Dana's when Quinn grabbed her on Russell's orders, yanking her back. They fell onto the pavement, both crying but Quinn's tears were silent while Charlie screamed out.

Aunt Kris called them a few days later saying Dana would be staying with her. Their dad backed it up saying Dana needed help and she would get that down in West Virginia. When Easter came up, Dana told them the truth.

"Maybe she's different," Quinn eyed her. "Dana," she clarified. "Maybe she's different."

Quinn shook her head, picking at the flaps of her cheerio skirt. "Do you honestly believe that?"

She believed it. She believed Dana had changed. In the way her voice had broken, begging Charlie to help her. The way her gaze had waivered when she admitted to wanting to come home. Her fight wasn't as strong as it had been, but Dana wasn't different the way Quinn wanted her to be.

The tingle in her lips told her that.

"I just," She started, watching Quinn's face as she spoke the words. "Want her back, Q,"

"Why?" She shot back, quickly. It didn't sound harsh, but probing. "Why? So she can ruin you again?"

"She didn't ruin me,"

"I've heard you crying," She admitted like it was something to hold over her head. "It's because of her, isn't it?"

"Because I've missed her. I've missed her and I know you did too."

"What she did- what we did," Quinn corrected. Her eyes bounced to the door then back to Charlie. "It was wrong. Charlie, it was, and if we were to tell mom and some how Dana comes back, I'm not going to risk it again."

"We won't,"

"There are a lot of things you're not good at and at the top of that list is lying." Charlie swallowed. "You can't handle this, Charlotte, and we both know dad won't let it happen. To him, Dana doesn't exist."

She cringed because it was true. A week after Dana was gone, he stopped talking about her. The year after she came to visit, he took everything of Dana's and put it into storage. The only things that were left were family portraits. Charlie knew if Judy wasn't so attached to those frames that he'd burn them as well.

To Russell, Dana was dead to them and he wanted to make her the same way to everyone else. But Charlie could never do that and she knew Quinn wasn't as cold to their triplet as she let on. There were times she caught Quinn staring at one of the portraits at the very back of the china closet.

"I know you miss her and I know she's probably got you wrapped her finger around but no. We can't go through that again."

"Who says we will?"

"You," Quinn said, rising off the bed. She unlocked the door, keeping her head turned away from Charlie as she said, "You've never been very good with make up either."

She waited until Quinn was gone before jumping up to look in the mirror hanging over her desk. She cursed at the bruise just peeking out from under the collar of her blouse.

-/-/-/-

"Your daughter is helping me get into glee,"

"Please don't call her that,"

_"Rachel,"_she spread mayo on a bread slice. "Is helping me get into glee,"

She still had no money and she wouldn't allow Shelby to lend her any. In exchange, she cleaned and made up dinner. Sometimes ordering in with some cash she and the Skanks stole off low life's at school but Dana wasn't much into stealing and seeing the money go into her and a women who could pay for twenty meals much better sometimes made her conscious hurt.

Shelby nodded, maintaining that cool and composed heir about her. "I hear New Directions is good,"

Dana rolled her eyes. "Because of Rachel,"

"Is there a reason you keep bringing her up or do you enjoy torturing me about her?"

Aren't those pictures torture enough? Dana wanted to say, but the pain was so evident on Shelby and ran too deep to even joke about she sighed instead. "No. I'm sorry. I just…why'd you give her up?"

Hurt turned her mouth further down. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the moment,"

"I bet she'd want to meet you," Shelby laughed, mirthlessly. "Have you ever tried?"

"When I signed those papers, I agreed to never interfere in her life."

"You keep pictures of her,"

Shelby pressed her fingers to her temples. "This conversation is inappropriate for me to be having with a seventeen year old."

Dana shrugged, dropping her sandwich into a brown bag before sticking Shelby's into her lunchbox and zipped it up. Grabbing her thermal of coffee, Shelby grabbed her lunch off the counter, tossing the cheese wrappers into the trash.

"When are you going to talk with your family?" Shelby asked,

Dana tugged the laces on her boots tight then slung up her bag. "Soon."

"How soon is soon?"

"Soon enough."

Shelby pursed her lips, holding the doorknob. "I don't want any trouble. If Russell Fabray finds out I'm housing one of his daughters, I'm sure I'll have a court order against me for kidnapping."

Dana laughed. "That won't happen. He doesn't want me,"

Shelby's eyebrow cocked but she said nothing as she opened the door.

"She has your voice," Dana said, lingering in the doorframe. "Maybe better, but you're old so it makes sense."

"I know she does," Shelby smiled. "Thank you,"

She waved, taking to the sidewalk. The trailer homes Mak lived in were only five minutes away from Shelby's. It sounded wrong for Dana to say she only used the Skanks for resources like chump change and a ride to school but walking fifteen minutes to McKinley again like she did the first week was brutal.

She fell into the passenger seat of Mak's car, forcing herself not to cringe at her smacking on a piece ofgum that barley masked the hint of cigarette smoke on her breath. Dana leaned forward, hitting the radio to some alternative and let Mak drone on about her hectic morning while she drove.

"We gonna see you at lunch?" Mak asked as they walked up towards the entrance. Sheila and Ronnie hovered by the entrance.

Sheila took hold of a nerdy boy by the collar of his shirt. Gave him two shakes and a wad of dollar bills fell into her hands like a vending machine.

A few more kids during lunch and they'd have enough to buy half the snack machine and a few cans of cola. The lunch tucked deep into her bag would be divided amongst them one way or another. It never left enough for Dana though.

"You've been flaky on us." She continued. "Ronnie says she saw you with that Berry girl again."

"Ronnie needs to get her eyes checked,"

Mak smacked again. She looked her up and down. "You bail on us again and it's gonna be your pretty pink head in that toilet this afternoon."

"I'll keep that in mind," she dug in her bag for her lunch. "Here. I'll see if I can get more by lunch."

Mak examined the contents of the bag approvingly. It was enough for her to bump a fist with Ronnie and receive a sup nod from Sheila and get away into the school.

Dana held her head up, keeping a steady pace as she moved in the hall. The first day she had come in, she could've sworn someone shit themselves thinking she was Quinn or Charlie gone bad. A sick, sick fantasy that could never happen. The thought of Quinn alone had Dana's sides splitting in laughter.

"Dana!"

She snapped her head to the left, catching Rachel's apprehensive smile. Dana winked and the smile stretched. She slammed her locker and moved to walk at her side.

"You been working on the song?" Dana asked.

"Yes, and I was thinking that if we did a duet your voice wouldn't really be showcased as much," she flickered her eyes up to her nervously. "But I will be more than happy to sing back up to you in whatever else you choose."

"Sure,"

"Really?"

"As long as it gets me into glee,"

"It will," she fell quiet as they approached the end of the hall.

Dana looked down to see Rachel chewing on her bottom lip. She stopped them by the water fountain so Rachel had to double back to her.

"What else?" she asked seeing more words written all over her and that dumb reindeer sweater she was wearing.

Rachel took a breath. "Though we agreed that we would work separately, I believe if we rehearsed the song together, we would have a better result. Or you, rather, since this is your audition."

"Yeah,"

Her eyes blinked, shocked. "My place or yours?"

"Yours,"

"Very well," Rachel grinned. "I didn't think Quinn would be very fond of having me over."

"I don't live with Quinn," Dana fired off without thinking.

"You don't?" Rachel tapped her lips with a finger. "I wasn't aware. Where do you-"

Crap. "Do you have a car or do we have to walk to your place?"

"I have a car,"

"I'll meet you in the parking lot after school," She hurried to say. Mak and the others were making their way down the hall for the end of the hall bathroom they were standing by.

"Fantastic," Rachel clapped. Dana smiled, stepping away to go.

"Oh, and Rachel?" She turned over her shoulder. "Don't tell Q or Charlie about this.

"I hadn't planned on it,"

-/-/-/-

"What she got on you?"

"Excuse me?" Rachel looked up from her notebook. No one had made it into glee yet and the Cheerios were usually the last to enter.

Quinn ran her fingers through her ponytail, other hand firmly on her hip. "It obviously can't be much,"

"Quinn, what are you talking about?"

"Dana," she spat her name like a foul word. "What does she have on you?"

"Nothing. We're friends," She closed the notebook.

"Friends?"

"Sort of friends," she backtracked. She hated when Quinn made her sound stupid. "We were friends once too, you know."

Quinn choked on her words. Rachel bit the inside of cheek to hold back the satisfied smirk at rendering Quinn Fabray speechless. They hadn't exactly been friends but Rachel would hold the word over her head since she was so adamant on trying to keep it from happening.

She would hold it over her head and grasp tightly onto it because in those few times she caught Quinn a teary mess in the last restroom stall or running so quick out the cafeteria all that would be seen was a streak of red, that's what it felt like and what she wished for.

Rachel knew Quinn hated her always showing up. Before Quinn even came to glee club, when they were freshmen and Quinn somehow climbed to a co-captain position on the squad and Finn Hudson was on her heels like a dopey little puppy.

Rachel never asked her what was wrong. She only handed Quinn a balled up mess of tissues and offered her consealer and a shoulder to cry on but Quinn refused the latter.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Rachel had asked once when Quinn took solace in the choir room of all places. She didn't know Rachel was sitting in there, nibbling an apple and sorting through the sheets of music packed into the filing cabinet.

Quinn took the travel Kleenex out of Rachel's fingers without question. "I can't," she dabbed just below her eye, never once looking at Rachel. "Please, don't ask me again because I can't. Rachel, I can't tell anybody."

Freshmen Quinn was different than sophomore and even more so then junior Quinn. Freshmen Quinn hadn't yet known where Rachel sat on the totem pole of the McKinley High system. Though she learned it quick with being on the cheerios and Brittany and Santana who zapped to her side right off the bat no doubt helped in that.

It was sad to think because Quinn wasn't that mean of a girl. She was quick with her tongue and cold in the eyes, but softness was behind it. The last time Rachel had seen that was when Quinn allowed her to give her hand a squeeze before returning to class. More recently it was when she watched Dana walk past her down the hall unaware her sister was even there.

"Why would I ever be friends with you?"

"Because there was a time when I wasn't a loser to you." She said, getting up to walk to the piano to prepare the sheet music she had for Brad.

"Stop dreaming, Berry," Quinn brushed a hand over her hair, hiding the falter in her eyes. The stern coldness was back as soon as she turned back. "What are you doing with my sister?"

"Why do you care?"

"You don't know her the way I do. If you knew anything, you'd stay away from her."

"Since when have you, Quinn, been worried about my well being?"

"I could care less about-"

"I do appreciate the sentiment and your obvious warning," Rachel turned around to face her, leaning back against the piano. "But I can assure you I can look after myself and that any worry you may have is unnecessary."

"Listen here, man hands," She moved swiftly across the choir room, coming so close to Rachel she could smell the coconut melon of her shampoo. "I don't know what sort of little affair you and my sister are having but you need to back off."

"What are you worried about?" her voice dropped, eyes moving back and forth from the hazel ones too close to focus on just one. "We're only friends."

"You're not,"

"Your apparently jealousy is-"

"Stop it. Stop," Quinn slowly reopened her eyes having pinched shut like it was painful to even think about being jealous of someone like Rachel. "Just- whatever. Do what you want,"

"I intend to,"

"So be it,"

"Shall we start rehearsal then?"

-/-/-/-

"Miss Pillsbury?" Charlie fumbled with a button on her cardigan.

"Yes, Charlie?"

She blinked up into Miss Pillsbury's eyes, chewing on her bottom lip. She was nervous. She was always nerved but not like this - not with Miss Pillsbury. Out of everyone, the guidance counselor was the only one Charlie could really talk to. So, yeah, Miss Pillsbury sometimes shifted in her chair uncomfortably when she expressed her missing of Dana a little too intimate for her and she tripped on her words a lot, but her advice was better than anyone. And she listened to everything she had to say.

But things were different now that Dana was back and everything that Charlie had talked about was only intensified. She could feel the flutter in her stomach and the ache in her chest. Passing off Dana as a sister she missed so very, very much she cried most nights wasn't going to cut it.

Maybe she shouldn't tell Miss Pillsbury.

Maybe she should go and talk to one of those professional counselors Judy had pointed out to her in the beginning. But they'd prescribe her with some sort of anti depressants and whatever pills they could gyp money off her parents and Charlie wasn't sick. She was just…in love with someone she knew she very well shouldn't be. But those things - those feelings - were hard to smash down when they started to rise when she was thirteen and still struggling with that thing called puberty.

Quinn seemed to fly through that and Dana was so confident, the others in school wanted to be her friend not laugh at her. But Charlie was different and Dana was the one who kept her from getting trampled and spat on and neglected. Dana was the one she looked up to, the one who had picked her up and cared about her when everyone else just pushed and pushed and pushed the quiet Charlotte Fabray.

"We can start slow if you'd like," Miss Pillsbury said. She glanced down to her desk where two stacks of paper were in front of her. She straightened out one so it lined up perfectly with the other. "You can take as much time as you need. I don't mind,"

"It's-It's Dana," She muttered. The button on her cardigan was in danger of falling off if she kept fiddling with it, but her hands needed to be occupied. Especially when she was about to say, "I'm in love with Dana. My-my sister. She's not just my…sister to me."

Silence ensued after the confession. It was probably shorter than she was making it up to be but to Charlie it felt like it lasted an entire minute of her staring pale faced at her fumbling fingers and Miss Pillsbury's doe-wide eyes staring at the top of her head.

"Oh," said Miss Pillsbury after what felt like eons. "Well that explains a lot. Um. Well. When did- When did you first realize this?"

Charlie let out the breath she was holding. She turned to look at the woman across from her. She was red in the cheeks and still looked extremely uncomfortable but she wasn't like Judy had been. she wasn't eyeing her in disgust over dinner or pursing her lips in disappointment.

"When we were thirteen," That's when Dana shoved that one boy for kicking her glasses across the hallway floor when she accidentally dropped them after cleaning them.

That's when Dana started holding her through the night when she cried about grades and dad and bullies instead of holding her hand how she did when they were seven and she still got nightmares.

"But I didn't realize what it really was until," the time Dana touched the back of her neck with warm lips, sending waves down her nerves and heat to her finger tips that were intertwined together beneath the comforter.

"You're not a baby anymore," Quinn would snip at her when she'd walked out of her room in the morning. "And you," She'd stab Dana in the chest as she came groggily out the bathroom. "Stop babying her. It's not going to do her any good."

Maybe Quinn was right. It hadn't done her any good. Nights when Dana was absent, she clutched her pillow, more than sad it wasn't her in its place.

"Not until later," She tugged the thread in the button so the little circle of plastic fell onto her fingers. She'd have to re-sow it on later.

"And what made you realize you had, well, these feelings for her?"

"When we were fourteen- Miss Pillsbury," She panicked. Without a button to tug, she had nothing to anchor her. "You can't tell anyone." Her hands grabbed the armrest of the chair, nails digging into the wood. "No one,"

"Like I told you before, Charlie. Everything said in my office is between you and I and no one else."

She cracked. "Dana's not supposed to be here. She was sent away four years ago after our dad found out that we were…that we were…"

"Involved?" She nodded because the lump in her throat wouldn't allow any words forth. "You still are?"

"No. Yes. But it was a mistake and Quinn's going to hate me,"

"Quinn knows?"

"Quinn knows everything. She's-" the reason Russell found out.

Charlie didn't really blame her. It could've been any one of them who left the basement. But Quinn never stuck around long enough to let what had happened between them set in. She'd been careless with her tears and leaving the door cracked just enough.

Russell heard them. Heard Dana's name echo a little bit too passionately. She was sure he thought it was some pubescent boy she had dragged over under his nose. But when the lights flickered on and he saw two resembling faces, there was nothing to compare the volume if rage that over took him.

Everything happened so fast. It was one of the few times Charlie had seen Quinn trying to defend them. Maybe it had been out guilt that she clawed at Russell to let Dana go or maybe it was because his hands were obviously hurting her as they tugged her away from Charlie still shell shocked up against the couch.

"She's what, Charlie?" Miss Pillsbury brought her eyes back to her and mind back to the present.

Her mouth opened and closed, but she couldn't speak. To tell Miss Pillsbury, that would sound like she did blame Quinn and she didn't. Not really. Quinn was just as good to her. On most days. And Quinn was why she could get out of bed a few weeks later and helped her with make up to hide the redness in her eyes and the bags below them.

"She's going to hate that I told you this," she covered. "We've never told anyone."

"It is a big thing to deal with and I can understand the fear of relaying this to someone else for fear of judgment and, if I heard correctly, had to do with why Dana hasn't been around."

"He doesn't know she's back. I know he won't let her come home but she's counting on me."

"Have you spoken with her?"

She flipped the button into the other hand. It slipped out of her palm and onto her skirt. Had she spoken to her? No. She couldn't. It was impossible to speak to Dana without it turning around and making her feel bad for not trying harder especially when she hadn't tried at all. But Quinn was right…Dana was dead to her dad and to an extent Judy. There would be no way to revive her for them.

"I have to go," Charlie snatched up the button.

"Are you sure? I can write you a-"

"I have to go,"

"Charlie-"

"I need to- to get home," She kept her eyes down as she slung up her bag, tripping on her flats and squeezing out the door just as the bell rang.

The sound of the hallway drowned out the sobs that escaped her throat.

-/-/-/-

Dana sang the last chorus of_ I Love Playing With Fire_, air guitar in hand. Rachel stood beside her, clutching a bedazzled microphone as she sang the back up vocals. It took until the third run through before Dana stopped snickering at the sight of Rachel putting on her best rock n' roll face and growling the lyrics.

"You're shit at rock n' roll," Dana had laughed. Rachel only flipped her hair and started the track from the beginning again.

Her voice scratched as she held out the last note making an ending since the original tapered off instead. Her fingers plucked invisible strings at the ending note.

Rachel hurried to hit stop before the track could repeat again. "How do you feel about that?" she asked once the music went out.

Dana fell down onto the raised platform that served as a stage in the Berry basement. "It sounded okay to me,"

Rachel furrowed her brow, chewing on her bottom lip. "You've almost got it but I think we should go again,"

"Rachel," she groaned.

"This song doesn't necessarily fit your voice but you're doing well-"

"Rachel," she groaned again. "I'm not going to have a voice by tomorrow if we keep going over this."

"Yes, well maybe we could-"

Dana gave up, falling backwards to sprawl across the stage letting Rachel continue on. She closed her eyes.

As soon as they had walked down into the basement where Rachel kept,

"Everything for impromptu concerts and the occasional performance I put on for my dads when I want to rehearse numbers like they would be performed at sectionals. We have everything we'll need down here including sound equipment."

Her boots had hit the last step and her eyes widened for only a split second too long for her to take it all in and take her back to her old basement back home. The basement with the old couch Judy had yet to take to goodwill and other boxes of junk and old things that hadn't sold at garage sales.

It was the basement that belonged to her and Charlie. Where they'd sneak off just to be alone. It wasn't just a place of secret kisses and cuddling on the old sofa. It was where Dana escaped the control of Russell and where she didn't have to plaster on the debutant smile Judy wanted them all to wear.

Before anything with Charlie, Dana had run to the basement for that reason alone. Opening it up to include the sister she had unfortunately fallen for had made it all the more better. The quiet kisses and warmth of skin on hers had brightened up the dingy place.

Rachel's basement brought it all back including the night they were discovered. Charlie's frozen frame on the floor against the couch she had slid off. Her mouth dropped and her hazel green eyes wide in terror as Russell yanked Dana back by the wrists, dragging her across the floor not waiting for her to get to her feet.

Then there was Quinn.

Quinn screaming for him to leave her alone that he was hurting her. _She_had hurt her. Her careless ass had gotten every last one of them caught and all the sorry's Quinn cried as Dana was forced up the stairs and into her room where he locked it from the outside had fallen on deaf ears.

"Dana?" Rachel's voice split her eyes back open.

She lolled her head to the side to see her watching her from the computer hooked up to a set of speakers where the music played out of. "Hm?"

"Is everything alright?"

She pushed herself up, running a hand through the thick pink hair in her face. She knew her roots were turning to dirty blonde again and fading. "I'm just tired."

They both looked up at the clock on the wall. "It's nearly ten thirty. I hadn't realized how late it had gotten. I apologize."

"It's okay,"

"Would you like to stay or should I take you home?" she asked. Before Dana could answer she added, "Of course you'd want to go home. Not even Quinn would want to stay with me regardless if I were helping her prepare or not."

Dana raised an eyebrow, coming off a stretch as she stood up. "Why are you always so focused on Quinn?"

"What do you mean?" Rachel ducked her head for a moment enough to give her away.

"Oh god," Dana laughed. "Not you too,"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." She was good. Better than Charlie but not as good as Quinn at hiding.

"Nothing," she yawned. "I can stay," Either that or disturb Shelby and Shelby was cranky when she was tired and up late going over songs and music for her choir to work on.

"Okay,"

She followed Rachel up the stairs, giving the basement one last fleeting look before the lights turned off. Excusing herself, she made a quick call to leave a voicemail for Shelby letting her know where she was staying. Well, she said she was staying with a friend not who it was.

Rachel had a set of pajamas folded for her at the foot of the bed when she returned to the room.

"They may be a little short but they'll fit," Rachel said. Dana snatched them up and started to shed layers of clothes.

Rachel was on her way out the room with a spare comforter in hand when Dana stopped her. "Where are you going with that?" she folded her own outfit, laying it by her bag and things.

"The couch,"

"You have a problem with sleeping with people?"

"Well, no. I only assumed that you'd like to be alone seeing as we're not that close. I wasn't sure of your preference."

Dana jumped onto the top of the pink comforter draped on Rachel's bed, tugging it back, "Come on, Rach," she patted the pillow. "I don't bite,"

Rachel smiled, helping rid the bed of the décor pillows then left to brush her teeth and wash her face. Dana slinked down under the comforter, sighing at the cool sheets against her skin. The last time she had been in a bed that soft and sheets that nice was four years ago the night before a black car took her away.

"Do you mind the lamp being on?" Rachel asked upon her return. Dana shook her head, fighting back a laugh at Rachel's full body pajamas.

She flicked off the overhead light so only the lamp stayed illuminated and hunkered down into the sheets beside her.

Dana could feel the warmth of Rachel radiating under the blanket. It was like the heat of Charlie against her. When Dana held her tight against her front, shushing her woes and worries and helping her ease into sleep.

"My sister has a crush on you," Dana said into the silence.

Rachel stayed quiet beside her not moving even an inch. Dana folded her arms beneath her head, letting her eyes close. Rachel was nice and willing to help and her voice made Dana's heart skip a beat, but she knew it wasn't what Charlie wanted.

"That's ridiculous," Rachel said almost choking on her words. "She has treated me like nothing but dirt since she figured out that I was someone she was definitely not supposed to converse with since her status was on that of the cheerios-"

She smirked. "I meant Charlie,"

"Oh,"

"Q's been shit to you and you still like her,"

"Is it that obvious?"

Dana shrugged. People had fallen for her sister ever since she could remember. All they saw were her sparkling hazel eyes and her perfectly sculpted face. They only saw the way her hips moved when she danced and that sensual blink of her eyes when she wanted to win someone over.

They didn't know the lengths Quinn went to save her own ass. They didn't know how she could never stand on her own but molded into a crowd like a chameleon. But Dana did have to commend her. She kept Charlie running when she was gone, and for that, Dana was thankful for.

"Charlie's nicer," she said instead.

"So she is but Quinn she's…"

"Straight and will never be with you,"

"Thank you for the encouragement."

"I'm only telling you the truth," more people didn't need to get hurt by Quinn. "She won't fall for you no matter what."

"We were friends once though she'd deny it," Dana laughed despite herself. She was sure she was. Right before Quinn knew talking to Rachel meant a grape slush on her polyester.

She felt Rachel turn away from her. "Was it you?"

"Hm?"

"Was it you the reason why Quinn cried so much?" Dana turned to see the back of her head. "She never told me why she did. Only that she couldn't tell anybody. It was freshmen year before she started to hate me."

"She doesn't hate you," Because Quinn hated no one. She didn't have the heart to hate. Not when she hated herself more.

"Was it you?"

She sighed, letting her eyes stare back up to the ceiling. "I guess," She tried not to think about how Quinn felt after everything.

Though there were nights at the institute when she'd lie in bed and think about Quinn. She'd think about how she tried to fight Russell, how she talked to Dana through the crack at the bottom of the door saying she'd get her out of there, that they'd work everything out in the morning. She'd think about the way Quinn held back Charlie looking so sorry and pained and broken.

But Dana hated to think about that.

"Is that the reason why you haven't been around until now?"

"Yes," she muttered.

"What happened?"

"If she said she couldn't tell anybody what makes you think I can?"

"It's your life," Rachel offered.

Dana snorted. "It's not just my life,"

The mattress dipped as Rachel turned back around, sitting up with crossed legs. She stared down at Dana with wonderfully, chocolate colored eyes.

"They've been different since you've come back," Rachel started. "Well, I'm not so sure about Charlie but Quinn is. I know whatever happened must've been heartbreaking because the way she looks at you when she sees you is sad. You should've seen her then. Like someone had ripped the very life out of her."

Dana seethed. Quinn wasn't allowed to feel like that. "She ripped the life out of me,"

"How?"

"I was taken away. I was taken away from everything - from Charlie."

"But why?"

"I can't tell you that,"

"Why not?"

Too many emotions filtered in. They twisted her stomach and clenched her heart. They pressed down on her chest and stung at the corners of her eyes. She pinched them shut, fighting against it all. They were things being at the institute were supposed to help with. They were things that she didn't want to carry anymore.

The sorry she felt for Charlie and leaving her. The forged hatred towards Quinn for letting something happen that she couldn't have prevented. The crushing pain of the cold shoulder of her parents that made it obvious she was a disgusting thing that could easily be disposed of.

"It's not just about me!" She shot up, punching the headboard. "I've already screwed up again and it's not going to help me get back home if I keep screwing around with Charlie! When Quinn finds out, she'll make sure of it. She'll make sure I never come back. We can't tell you. I can't tell you."

"Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't know- I'm sorry." Rachel held her eyes even so, watching as Dana's chest heaved and her jaw flexed. "I won't bring it up again. I just thought that maybe I could help-"

"You helping me get into glee is help enough."

"To get closer to Quinn again?"

"Yes," She admitted. It sounded weak and stupid but she admitted it.

Rachel looked down at her hands that were clutching a wad of the blanket. "Because you love Charlie and if she finds out that you still do then your chances at going back home are done."

"Yes, that's-" her eyes widened. "What did you just say?"

"It's nothing," Rachel blinked away, sliding her legs back under the blankets and turned away. "Just sleep. We can practice during lunch then be prepared to sing in glee that afternoon."

"Rachel, what did you-"

"Goodnight, Dana. I won't let you down."


	4. Part IV

**Part IV**

Her forehead fell against Dana's shoulder.

Charlie wasn't more glad for the lack of interest in books and studying of the McKinley students. Otherwise, they would've seen the quiet, study cubicle with the lights off as a great place to study in.

Her fingers curved, nails digging into the fabric of Dana's frayed shirt. Her foot slipped further out against the chair it was propped up on and her hips bucked forward in time with the fingers that were torturing her to almost no end.

"D," she whispered, head rolling back to hit against the wall. "Dana,"

The homework she had intended to work on and the books she had just checked out having gotten privilege back were scattered down on the floor around them. On the desk was a bad way to start. The long, thin window of the small cubicle would've given them away. Charlie had only enough time to squeak when Dana swiped her off it, tossing her things away, to press her up on the wall.

Dana pulled her fingers back only to run them back into her hard. The heel of her hand hit just perfectly against her making Charlie gasp. "D- oh god," her eyes closed, teeth clenched. "God, god, god,"

"Look at me, Charlotte," she instantly opened her eyes. Hazel eyes flaked with the tinniest bits of green stared lidded into hers, scorching and as delicious as a green, caramel apple. Charlie felt her mouth water.

She held the gaze, hips rolling with the movement of the hand up her skirt. It had been so long. So very long. Charlie knew this would happen again. That kiss in the library hadn't been nearly enough. Those long minutes of losing herself in those lips during lunches and between passing periods wasn't enough. This should've been, Charlie thought as her eyes squeezed shut and Dana circled her thumb against her. This should've been enough, but she couldn't seem to pull Dana into her enough or feel her enough.

"Look at me," she hadn't even realized her eyes shut again.

Charlie forced her eyes to look into her sister's. She was gasping, trying to hold back every moan and every whimper she knew would be too loud. Anywhere else, maybe the janitor's closet she often saw other couples sneak into would've kept their sounds hidden. But the library was no place for that and Charlie's throat hurt from ragged breathing and she could taste the tiniest hint of blood from where she kept biting down on the inside of her cheek too hard.

"Dana," It was all she could get out as she rocked yet again.

Each one sent a stronger wave of pleasure through her body. It burned at the base of her stomach, increasing in ferocity. She felt like she was on fire, blazing between that hand that always knew how to handle her and those eyes that never failed in trapping her, in holding her until she could take no more.

"Charlotte," Dana said right at her ear. Her name. Never Charlie, never Char, always Charlotte. "Charlotte," the shiver that ran down her spine at the touch of lips to her ear accompanied by that sultry voice almost did her in. "I love you, Charlotte."

Charlie bit down on her lip, only letting the smallest of a whimper escape her throat as everything inside of her exploded and her walls clenched around nimble fingers that somehow started to move faster, sending her over that sweet edge. Dana kicked the chair from under her foot so she tumbled into her and their lips met all sloppy and wet and delicious.

Her lungs screamed for more air but she ignored the ache, relishing in hot lips, staying limp and rubbery in her sister's arms and letting her hold her up as the high slowly ebbed away. The hum between her legs held steady and the giddy feeling in her stomach kept her weightless.

"Dana," She pulled back, panting. "I love you, too." Charlie took Dana's face in her hands, holding her so she couldn't look away. "I love you, too."

She took her lips again. It was coordinated this time. Charlie didn't hesitate to open her mouth and let Dana's tongue in. She tasted of stale cigarettes and an array of starburst, which wrappers were on the floor of the cubicle now.

Dana pulled away and Charlie smiled at finally making her gasp for air for once. "I know," she blinked, dropping her gaze for a moment. "I know,"

"It's been a long time," said Charlie.

Dana laughed softly, taking the hand that had just been up her skirt and wiped it on the inside of her jacket she picked off the floor. "Yeah,"

She searched those same eyes that had just been smoldering and boring into hers. They were hesitant now, weighed down by something that hurt in the center of Charlie's chest to see. Something was wrong.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing?" she brushed their lips together before pulling away.

The lights turned on. Charlie looked down at the mess they made and quickly went to clean it. Her history essay was crumbled and wrinkled were Dana's feet had stepped on them and the case of her calculator was feet away from the calculator itself. Dana bent down, retrieving it before falling into the chair.

Charlie squatted to pick up her papers. They were all out of order and some were wrinkled. She fought against her acute OCD at that. Instead she gazed up at Dana through her lashes, watching her punch in random things on the calculator, her eyes that had once been there and then now far and drawn.

Charlie tried not to let it bother her. She knew Dana loved her still. She still loved her in the wrong way like she had when they were younger.

She took a breath. "I don't like it when you lie to me."

The corner of Dana's mouth tugged to the side, eyes rolling in annoyance. She dropped the calculator to the desk, squaring her shoulders away from Charlie. Her mouth pressed into a fine line, her brow the tad bit furrowed.

Charlie held her breath. She knew that look. It was one of the few looks all of them shared. It meant something was troubling, something difficult and hard and a little to painful. The difference of the three of them with that look was that Quinn kept whatever it was to herself, Charlie whisked everything off but let it eat at her from the inside. Dana was the only one who voiced it. And when she did, Charlie wished she hadn't.

"What did we just do?"

Charlie had heard it before. Back when everything started. Back when Charlie finally stopped getting tears in her eyes after it happened. But that particular night, when Dana lifted herself from between Charlie's legs and didn't kiss her like normal, she knew something was wrong.

"What are we doing?" was what Dana asked her. She sat at the far end of the couch, wetness still coating her reddened lips. Charlie had felt so naked and vulnerable and exposed still sprawled on the couch. Dana was the one who had always known what they were doing and what it was. Charlie went along with it because it did feel right and Dana told her it must've been okay if it felt so right.

Quinn had been getting to them then. Quinn was the one telling them it was wrong. Charlie crumbled under the words but Dana always put her back together, kissing away Quinn's selfishness and lies. But it was Dana who was crumbling that time and it was Charlie who kissed her lids and straddled her waste, pulling her eyes out of those lies and worries and made her sister moan her name that night with tears in her eyes.

"What did we just do?" Dana said it again still not looking at her. Charlie slowly stood with the papers, clutching them to her chest.

Maybe then she had pushed everything Quinn said away. But after all that happened, after Dana was sent away and Quinn kept repeating that same fact and Quinn was there putting her back together and Quinn was the smart one and the strongest one she had started to question it.

Charlie knew it was wrong. She admitted it to Miss Pillsbury it was wrong. She tried to stay away. God, she did as soon as Dana walked into the cafeteria that day she put up walls like the ones Quinn told her she needed to do. But that sledgehammer Dana held was no match for the glass walls Charlie had built and everything was shattering little by little by little.

"Dana…" She muttered. The buzz of euphoria had evaporated. She felt cold and distant and naked all over again. "Dana, don't. Why are you questioning it?"

"I'm not," she snapped softly. "I'm just…"

"I love you,"

It got her the smile she wanted but Dana's eyes pinched hard like it hurt to hear. "If Quinn finds out-"

"She already knows," it fell off her lips before she knew it.

It was suppose to stop Dana from questioning again. It was suppose to show her that maybe Quinn was okay with it since she hadn't blown up or threatened them or locked Charlie in her room. But she didn't really understand why Quinn hadn't done those things.

"How?" Charlie sighed, turning her neck to show the newest of the bruises just below the collar of her cardigan. "Shit,"

"It's okay,"

"It's not,"

She moved slow, pulling the other chair over and sank down into it. "She didn't sound upset about it when she saw. She didn't say anything really."

Dana snorted. "That's because she likes you,"

"Stop it. She misses you,"

"Not when she finds out we're doing this again." Dana's eyes flickered back to her. Charlie glanced down at the hand she had used. Those fingers so gentle and so perfect against her - inside her.

She tongued the flap of flesh on the inside of her cheek she had bit down on trying to keep quiet. It was sore and swollen. She hit it too hard and it bled a little again. "Do you wish we hadn't?"

Immediately, "No,"

Dana smiled and Charlie couldn't help be reflect it. Just like she had seen Dana beaming that night after she proved to Dana that it was okay. That Quinn was wrong. Too bad she didn't still believe that. "I love you,"

"I know," her finger smoothed of Charlie's eyebrow and down her cheekbone, running off jaw. Charlie shivered, grinning. She had done it again. "I'm auditioning for glee,"

"Why?" she drew back quickly. "You hate singing."

"So?" her eyebrows waggled, tone and face taking on a playful expression. "I'll be closer to Rachel."

"Be quiet," Charlie flicked a pencil at her. "Rachel's nothing like you. You know that."

"Too bad," Charlie's chest ached. She knew what that meant but she didn't want Rachel. Even if Rachel dyed her hair pink and wore leather and smelled like Dana, she'd never want her the way she wanted her sister.

"She never could be,"

Her knuckle tapped under Charlie's chin, titling her head up to brush a chaste kiss to her lips. "I have to go,"

"Don't regret this," She grabbed for the wrist of the jacket she had just pulled back on. "Please, D. Don't."

"I won't,"

"I love you,"

"I know," Fingers were on her face again, tracing the lines of her bones yet again. Charlie turned her head to kiss the palm that rested on her cheek.

"Tell me,"

She laughed softly. "I love you, Charlotte,"

"Do you regret this?"

"No. Never,"

"I'll get you back home."

Dana nodded, a forced smile on her face. "Get back to studying," she said and left the cubicle.

And like always, even after what they did, she still felt cold.

-/-/-/-

"_I know you miss her too."_

Charlie's voice scratched at Quinn's mind a dirty, tainted note. She was right but Quinn didn't know what to do. They could talk to Judy. They could tell her Dana was back, that Dana didn't need to be away from them anymore, and Judy would talk to Russell and all would be okay. But it wouldn't. That was all wishful thinking.

Every time Quinn thought about it, she knew it wouldn't work. Those stupid marks on Charlie's neck backed that up perfectly. Nothing had changed in four years. Charlie still pinned for Dana and Dana was still perfectly fine with sneaking behind closed doors and coming up with lies.

Her insides coiled in on themselves. She hated it. She hated every bit of it.

"What's going on?" Santana fell into the chair across the table from her. Quinn bounced her eyes from her side to the lunch line. "She's over there," Santana thrust a thumb over her shoulder knowingly.

Quinn spotted Brittany with the brainiac bunch over at the end of the gleek table. Quinn still didn't know how Brittany squeezed in with Artie, Tina and Mike and how they had managed to get past the first match. Maybe she'd stop thinking Brittany's brain was only full of only glitter and rainbows.

"Talk to me, Q," she picked up a piece of celery, examined it then took a bite.

Quinn watched her chew it bravely. Sue's diet was strict, but Quinn refused to even pretend like she followed it perfectly at school. At home, she snuck donuts and bread like nobody's business.

"Dana Disaster is back,"

Quinn sighed. She only told Santana because she wouldn't shut up. Because it was easier to do that than come up with a lie explaining why the sister that had gone around Lima with her to drop off Christmas presents to the few cheerios friends she had made during cheer camp the summer before ninth grade was suddenly gone. Why Quinn didn't have the picture of her and the three of them on her bookshelf anymore. Why she snuck away only to come back with red-rimmed eyes.

Santana only knew because Quinn needed someone to tell. Someone aside from Rachel Berry who had been there almost every time, offering her tissue and just sitting there so she wasn't alone. She could've told her to get lost. She could've sucked up her tears and found somewhere else to spill her troubles, but Quinn was sick of being alone.

Their dad had shut down and their mother pretended like nothing had ever happened. Charlie moved around like a ghost and her few friends she had…well…they couldn't be trusted. No one could. They knew the strong Quinn Fabray. The one perfect in every single way. But Rachel hadn't known her and Rachel didn't look at her like she was stupid for appearing weak in the handicapped bathroom stall losing every ounce of water in her body over her stupid sister.

Rachel had whispered things like it would be okay and that nothing is ever as bad as it seems and had pulled her into her that one time when Quinn completely fell apart that terrible evening after her dad burned half of Dana's things and hid the rest.

She tried to salvage them. Quinn had a box of some of Dana's things hidden under her bed. So maybe sometimes she dug it out and unfolded half scorched letters Dana used to write Charlie and sometimes her during school. Yeah, she kept the dumb MCR poster, tempted to hang it up in her room or give it to Charlie but Charlie couldn't handle that and it would be pointless to hang up if she had to cover it with one of her Cheer = Life posters.

She kept it to herself and never told. No one else.

Quinn never told Rachel. If she weren't a cheerio and Rachel wasn't a loser, maybe she would have. If Quinn wasn't so ashamed of the truth and Rachel had kept comforting her the way she had, maybe it would've happened. It didn't though, and Quinn was left talking to Santana and only Santana about it.

But now, as she sat across the girl who was surprisingly superb at keeping the secret, she wished she had told someone else. Someone who she could actually break down with. Someone who she could draw strength from and didn't have to worry about here and there when she started slacking in practice and she knew Santana was trying whatever she could do to get her kicked down so she could be captain.

Each and every time Quinn thought about who else it could've been, without fail, she thought of Rachel.

"Don't call her that," Quinn defended.

"Whatever," Santana dismissed and Quinn rolled her eyes. "What's up? Your dad know she's back yet?"

"No," she sighed. "Not like it matters."

"I still can't believe he doesn't know,"

"She's good at hiding,"

Santana smirked. "Obviously not good enough,"

"Are you serious right now?" Quinn's jaw dropped. It wasn't funny. None of it was.

"Sorry," Santana said but Quinn knew she really wasn't. "What're you gonna do? Snitch and have her sent back or…"

"I don't know. I don't know anything. I don't,"

"Chill, Fabray. It's not the end of the freaking world. Maybe your dad's cool now." If her eyes could shoot daggers, they'd be lodged in Santana's throat. "Okay, so maybe he's not. But, what the hell? Are you really going to let her wonder around homeless forever?"

"She isn't homeless," Quinn was sure of it. Dana was better off than that. She was probably housed with one of the Skanks. "And if she really wants back in, she'd show up."

"To be greeted with a chainsaw?" She snorted. Quinn was about to call her out on being snarky again, but she had a point. "I doubt it,"

"Fine," she snapped off a piece of carrot. "Then I'll send her away again."

Santana froze. "Really?"

"For Charlie, I'll do it."

"What about you?"

She chewed. "What about me?"

"Q," Santana's voice dipped low. "Maybe you're fooling everybody else, but I know you dig your sister."

"That's not true," Quinn snarled. "It isn't and don't look at me like you know because you don't. I only was with them a few times and I wish I never had. I love my sister, but not like that."

"Just had to make sure,"

"God, Santana!" Quinn threw her hands up, exasperated. "Make sure of what?"

She let out a long breath, sitting back in her chair. "You know you're screwed,"

She opened her mouth to speak but shut it. She was screwed. They were all screwed. Because bringing Dana back home was like setting fire to the gasoline that had been wading in the house for years. If she wanted Dana back, Quinn had to defend her, she'd have to come clean, she'd have to throw them all under the bus. Then what?

Would Russell throw all of them out? Would Judy finally open her mouth and tell her husband he needed to stop pulling their family farther and farther apart. Would he lock them all away leaving them to wait until he found out what to do with his disgusting daughters?

After Dana was gone, Russell had sat her down. He had picked her up from school and sat her down in the chair in front of his in the study. He had asked her question after question. Did she know about Dana, did Dana ever do anything to her, did she ever hurt her or Charlie, how long had this been happening, did she know it had been….

Question after question after question. Quinn lied. She lied because it was obvious Dana had lied. No, she didn't know about Dana. Dana did nothing to her and she never hurt Charlie. It was the first she heard about it and didn't know a thing.

Still, everyday, Quinn wondered what he would've done to her had she told the truth. She wondered what would've happened to Charlie had she told the truth. She wondered what exactly Dana told him to keep him from physically beating the living shit out of her before shipping her away.

And Quinn would never find out these things. She would never find out because if she did, they'd all be screwed.

So she knew what she needed to do.

"I know," Quinn said as the lunch bell sounded.

"Q?" Santana raised her eyebrow, trying to make sense of the rage in her face and the obvious tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes.

"She screwed us," Quinn said. "She won't screw us again."

-/-/-/-

Rachel opened her locker to grab the music for her and Dana to practice before the audition. She reached in, fingers clasping around the binder full of scores and notes, mind still reeling from the previous night.

She had been putting pieces together ever since Dana came into McKinley. The sudden shift in Quinn and the strange behavior of Charlie. How Quinn was more on edge, looking like she was about to jab knives into everyone and break down crying all in one. How Charlie stopped glancing at her in English and she never walked past her locker during passing periods.

The way Charlie would blush and duck her head when Dana was around or Quinn watched her with conflicted eyes across the cafeteria. The pieces of the puzzle were jagged and barely fit but Dana brought the rest that she needed.

To be honest, she was just talking. Rachel was just letting words slip off her tongue. She hadn't meant to dip into painful territory, to make Dana upset with her. She hadn't meant to sound so presumptuous.

An hour passed with them saying not a word as they lay in bed. Rachel was tense, eyes wide open and stomach doing things that felt like butterflies and rocks and a stomach ache crammed in there making her sick. She fought to keep her breathing even, trying to pretend to be sleeping but once the clock struck one am, Dana took in a deep breath and admitted,

"I can't stop loving her,"

Rachel had stayed motionless, not daring to turn and look into those hazel green eyes she could just feel on her back. She stayed that way, holding her tongue to not ask more. To not ask what all happened, to understand why it resulted in her leaving, to find out why it was hurting Quinn so bad and why Quinn would do everything in her power to keep Dana from coming home.

But Rachel wouldn't step over those lines anymore than she had done. And before she was up at six, Dana had already rolled out of bed and left leaving Rachel feeling cold and guilty and pained for every one of the Fabray girls.

Rachel shut her locker, pushing the lock closed, and headed for the choir room. It was empty, lights off and untouched since glee rehearsal the other day. Rachel laid her things on the piano, falling onto the bench and lifted the cover.

Her fingers curved over keys, with head angled down but her eyes were up at the door, waiting for pink to come bobbing through it. She hadn't seen Dana the entire day though she usually saw her coming out of the end hall restroom with the Skanks. Even on some occasions, walking down the hall much in the same fashion of Quinn like she owned the damn place.

Dana was nowhere. Not even Charlie was seen and Quinn…well Quinn looked more frazzled and frustrated than ever. Everything in Rachel told her she should leave it alone. That she should forget what she had found out and take Quinn's advice and back off. But when the door slammed shut, and Dana came striding across the choir room with eyebrows drawn in and lips pursed she knew she couldn't do that.

Rachel brought her head up to look at her. Dana's face instantly morphed into a blank mask as she hopped up to sit on the piano, facing Rachel. She crossed her legs, kicking down half the sheet music in the process.

"Hey," She smiled.

"Hi," Rachel smiled back and went to pick it up. "I didn't think you were coming."

She snorted, pulling the knot in the bandana tied around her head tighter. "I'm not a cop out,"

"I just wasn't sure since…"

"Since?" Her eyebrow rose up.

Rachel bit her lip, voice lowering. "Since…last night-"

"We never had that conversation, Rachel."

She stared up at her. There wasn't a hint of a joke in her voice or face. It was cold, colder than she had received from Dana. Again, Rachel wanted to slide across that icy plain and ask why not talk about it? But she straightened her back and pulled on the best confused face she could.

"What conversation?" She said.

"Good girl," Dana smiled but Rachel could tell it was fake. Fake and testing her to mention it all again. In that moment, Rachel realized how much alike she and Quinn were. "Are we going to practice?"

"Yes, well," Rachel played a chord on the piano. "I thought we should warm up first."

She groaned, leaning back on her hands. "Let's rehearse,"

"But we should really-"

"Practice the song?" She cut her off. Something was wrong. Dana was being too terse with her. "I think so too. Lets sing,"

"If you wish," Rachel got up and counted them off.

Dana took a deep breath and started to sing, looking bored and uncommitted the entire time she rasped out the song from the piano. Rachel stood beside her, singing back up and watching her.

There were many times Rachel wondered how it would be to sing a duet with Quinn. Never anything Broadway or something of a love song. Rachel didn't think she'd be able to do that without channeling her feelings into it. But she wanted to and singing with Dana was somewhat like that. It was almost pathetic, she thought, the way she had drawn closer to one Fabray instead of the one she wanted.

It was terrible how as they lay in her bed, there were parts in the night Rachel imagined it was Quinn. It was pitiful the way she quickly jumped to helping Dana because it gave her the sense of working with Quinn. But after last night, Rachel actually felt like helping Dana for Dana. Because she heard the sorrow in her voice when she spoke about Charlie and the painfulness when she mentioned Quinn.

Whatever had happened and whatever was going on, like Rachel said, she wouldn't let her down. So maybe she would draw closer to the one she didn't want. She'd deal with it. If it would somehow make Quinn smile again and help make things better with the sisters, she'd deal with it.

"Dana," Rachel started slowly. They had gone through the song twice and lapsed into silence. Rachel leaned her back against the piano, dropping the music down.

Dana stood on top of one of the chairs in the back row, gazing out the window. "Hm?" she said, tapping on the glass with a white painted fingernail.

Rachel swallowed. "I know that I'm not supposed to know any of this and to be honest I really know nothing more than that you've been gone and that you and Charlie…" She let that sentence fall off when Dana turned to look at her. Thin ice. She was on thin, thin ice.

"Rachel," Dana said in a warning.

She took a breath, getting to the point. "I would just like you to know that I won't tell anyone. It's okay,"

"It's not,"

"I promise you I won't say anything."

Dana came down off the chair. Her dirty converse hit heavy as she walked down to sit on the bottom row chair. Her arms crossed over her chest like she was shielding herself from something. That or trying to hold everything in.

"Quinn already knows," Dana said so quietly it took Rachel a moment to process what the murmurs were.

"Oh,"

She laughed, sardonically. "This audition is pointless,"

"Maybe it's not," Rachel tried. She tucked her skirt as she sat down beside her.

"Remember you said you don't really know anything?" She glared. "You really don't."

"Then why are we rehearsing?"

Dana shrugged. "For you,"

Rachel blinked. "I don't mind if you don't go through with the audition, but as I told you last night, I won't let you down." She was doing it all over again. Like Quinn her freshmen year, cleaning her tears and attempting to sooth her woes with fortune cookie phrases, now Dana was in that place.

"Stay out of this,"

"Both you and Quinn have told me that but were you not the one who asked me for help?" she said, angrily. "Even your sister begged me to stay with her through lunch while she cried out during numerous lunch periods in the choir room. You have made me a part of this regardless."

"Sucks for you,"

"I don't believe so," said Rachel. The bell to end lunch rang. Rachel stuffed the things back into her bag. Dana stayed where she sat, legs sprawled in front of her and fingers playing with an unlit cigarette.

"We'll meet in front of the auditorium then?" said Rachel. "We can walk to the choir room together and I'll introduce you to Mr. Schue."

Dana shrugged. "Whatever,"

Rachel turned to go, wavering at the door. "Dana," she waited for her eyes to meet hers. "If you want to talk about it or if you don't, I understand-"

"Rachel, stop it."

"-but I promise you I won't let you down." She pushed on a smile. "Bye, Dana."

-/-/-/-

She shouldn't have showed up. If the Skanks snatching what little money she had, her last pack of cigarettes, and a smashed pastry cake hadn't been torture enough, the audition would be. But Rachel had helped her thus far and Dana wasn't the kind of person to just quit when things went to hell.

She found Rachel at the doors of the auditorium. In a couple paces, Rachel was at her side. For the first time she didn't speak as they walked. Dana watched her out of the corner of her eye.

She had watched her like she had done in the morning when she woke up and threw on her clothes. It was a long walk to Shelby's and she really needed a shower and new clothes.

She didn't get her. She didn't get why this girl who was tortured by her sister for years, was obviously being used for some dumb sisterly feud, and still she was willing to help. She didn't understand why she wasn't cringing away from her and Quinn and Charlie or retching like she thought that one counselor who was new at the institute was going to do.

Rachel's eyes flicked to her before she turned to face her. She frowned. "We don't have to do this."

"No," Dana could hear the sounds of music coming from the choir room. "I want to."

"Are you sure?" She nodded, falling behind Rachel as they led them into the choir room just as applause.

"Everyone," Rachel announced. Dana walked into the choir room on her heels.

Every pair of eyes zapped to her. She caught the eye of that one Hudson kid who always looked at her completely confused. Then the Asian girl with the blue in her hair that Dana was seriously considering asking where she got her hair dye did a double take from her to Quinn then back to her still mind blown.

Brittany S. Pierce, the girl that still hadn't stopped picking at her hair in class leaned over to whisper something to the other cheerio beside her. The one whose face Dana knew but couldn't quite place how or when she knew it. The one who glared at Dana with almost the same fiery intensity that Quinn beside her was staring at her with.

Dana blinked away from her to look at the back of Rachel's head as she spoke.

"I know you've all been hearing about her, but I'd like you to officially meet Dana Fabray,"

Dana took a step forward since Rachel had presented her with extended arms. She threw up a hand. "Hey,"

"What are you doing here?" Quinn snapped before Mr. Schue could even open his mouth and clap her on the shoulder as a welcome.

Dana shifted her eyes back to her sister. Hazel eyes burned her. She didn't get it. She would never understand why the hell Quinn was so angry at her. She was the one who had the right to be angry. She was the one thrown out not her.

She sucked in a breath. In front of these people wasn't the time or place to start up those sort of arguments. "I'm here to audition,"

"No," Quinn said, arms crossed tight over her chest. "No. Defiantly not."

Rachel glanced back at her with sad eyes. "I don't see what the problem is,"

"Of course you don't," Quinn ticked. "The problem is, she doesn't belong here."

"Quinn, calm down," Mr. Schue walked over to Dana and Rachel. "If your sister wants to audition then she can audition."

"Oh?" Quinn's eyebrows shot up. She never did well when more than one person came against her. "Then I'm leaving," She stood up.

"Q," Santana grabbed onto her arm.

Quinn yanked it back, taking up her Cheerios bag and stormed down the risers.

"Quinn," Dana moved to stand in front of her, hands on Quinn's shoulders to stop her from going any further. Her eyes moved to all the face watching them. She lowered her voice. "Don't be like this,"

"Don't touch me," She smacked her arms away. Dana winced. "I don't know what you're up to but whatever it is it's not going to work. Once dad finds out you're here-"

She froze because that was low. That was low even for Quinn and it hurt. "You wouldn't-"

She stepped forward, her eyes boring up into Dana's. The people in the choir room didn't seem to matter to her. They were in the background, nothing worth paying attention to when her sister was staring at her with the most conflicting emotions Dana had ever seen. Like she was reeling through each one, trying to grasp one and hold onto it but she couldn't.

Quinn was angry, sad, broken, enraged, confused. She lowered her voice, teeth bared as she commanded. "Then leave,"

Dana held her ground. "I'm auditioning."

"Fine," She spat, sidestepped away and left out the door.

"Nice job, runt," the one cheerio beside Brittany said.

"That's enough, Santana," Mr. Schue said. "Dana?" He called out to her, but she was already gone, sprinting after the ponytail she saw swaying around a corner.

"Quinn, wait!" She yelled down the hall running after the spiriting figure of Quinn.

Red and white slipped into a restroom and she barged in to see Quinn with her back turned, fist clenching and unclenching at her sides.

"Q,"

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice was calm, too calm and too steady. Dana knew if she turned around, her face would give her away. As if the shake in her shoulders didn't.

"Doing what?"

"Ruining everything again?"

"Ruining everything?" she groaned inwardly. "This has nothing to do with my audition does it?"

"Of course it doesn't!" Quinn shrieked, voice shrill. Teary eyes and damp cheeks rounded on her.

No. She wasn't going to cry about this. She wasn't going to let Quinn have her pity party just like she had balled her eyes out that night on the other side of the door saying she was sorry. She wasn't going to let Quinn feel like the victim when she wasn't.

"It wasn't all my fault, Q. You came to us, remember?"

"Stop it,"

"If you hadn't been so careless, dad would've never found out!"

"Maybe I'm glad he did. What you two were doing was disgusting!"

"Not what you were thinking when you couldn't keep quiet when I had my face between your legs."

The sound of Quinn's palm hitting her face echoed against the stalls. Dana hardly registered the slap. She could hardly feel the pain slowly creeping into her cheek, reddening into the ghost image of a hand across her cheekbone. The ache in her chest was greater. The hope of drawing her sister back, of having a chance at starting over that was slipping away hurt her more.

"I said," Quinn heaved, her chest rising and falling in beat with the throbbing pulse in Dana's face. "Stop it."

"I just want to come home." She muttered around the lump in her throat.

Quinn's voice had come back down, taking on that sleekness Dana hated. She hated it because it made it so Quinn was in control again. While she flailed around for something to grab onto, Quinn stood with her feet firm and voice even.

Quinn tilted her head back, trying to draw her up to her height. "You just want a more comfortable place to keep screwing Charlotte."

"No,"

"You never could resist leaving your mark." The disgust in her face churned Dana's stomach.

She had never seen it before. Quinn never looked at her disgusted at least not so morbidly disgusted. Quinn had held her fingers through the slit at the bottom of the door and cried that she'd make things better. She had only been disgusted with herself, but not directly at Dana. Why now?

"We're done," Dana said. "It's not like that anymore."

"You're a pathetic liar," Quinn choked out a laugh. She turned away from her, pacing the titled floor. "You know Charlotte can't handle this again."

"I love her,"

"So you screw her, then throw her away."

"What?" Dana blanched. She would ever do anything like that. "No."

"There is only one reason why she would skip half her classes and cry herself away in the library all day and that reason is you."

Oh. She had been wondering where Charlie was. After the library, she hadn't seen her. She was late getting to rehearse with Rachel because she had been looking for her but she never did find where she was. Dana's heart sank.

"That's because she knows we can't keep doing this." She said slowly.

"And why is that? You were perfectly fine these past weeks, sneaking off like I wouldn't know. Like I wouldn't find out. Just like you think dad isn't going to find out you're back and you're still screwing around. Why care now?"

"Because I want to come home." She admitted. "Quinn, I need you to help me. I want to come home."

"What home?" Quinn scoffed. Dana felt it like a blow in the chest. "You have no home. Dad doesn't want you back. Do you know what he did?" Dana swallowed watching Quinn walk closer to her. "He took everything of yours and burned it. Everything. It's like you never existed. He doesn't want you back." Quinn took a beat, catching her voice before it could slip away from her. "And neither do I,"

She looked down, holding Quinn's eyes. She switched from one to the other, searching for the lie in her words. But Quinn's gaze was fixed and she wasn't relenting. Dana felt tears spring up into her eyes.

"You're lying," she tried anyway.

Quinn titled her head, taking Dana's chin into her fingers, stroking her chin with a thumb. "If it'll keep Charlie from getting hurt and this family together, I'll keep telling lies."

"But we're not complete," she grabbed Quinn's hand, bringing it up to press against her cheek that still tingled from the slap. Hazel eyes widened. "You're not. Not without me,"

"You never should've taken the blame," Quinn's voice faltered. Dana's heart fluttered. Maybe she had gotten her back.

"I did it to help you and Charlotte. Why won't you do it to help me?"

"I tried," said Quinn. "You screwed us," she snatched her hand out of her grasp. "I won't try again."

"Why are you being like this?"

"Like what?" Quinn's lashes fluttered.

"Please," Dana pleaded, watching her sister step past her and head for the door. "Quinn, please? Quinn?"

Quinn's hand held the handle. They stood there in the silence. Dana held back her sob, begging in her mind for Quinn not to leave her. Not even then had she left her alone. Back then she had wanted to help her. Back then she had tried to defend her. But now…

Dana had half expected it. She expected Russell's claws to hook deeper into Quinn's back, but she thought she could take them out. She thought that what they had, the bond they had formed, was stronger. Even if Quinn hadn't loved her the way Charlie did, Dana thought she loved her some. Enough to show her pity. Enough to at least try. Enough to look at her like she knew still knew who she was.

"You don't belong here," said Quinn. The door opened swiftly and she was gone.

"Quinn!" Dana yelled, her knees buckling under her. She fell against the wall, sliding down the tile to the floor_. "Please,"_

-/-/-/-

Rachel drew away from the restroom door just before it could slam into her face.

She was motionless, watching Quinn bolt down the hallway and listening to Dana sobbing in the restroom. She debated, which one to go for. It should've been Dana the one who had just been stabbed with a thousand knives. It probably even should've been Charlie even if Rachel had only breathed five words to her in the three years she knew her.

But Rachel's feet moved and she found herself chasing after red and white flaps.

So maybe she lied.

She let Dana down.


	5. Part V

_AN:_ For those who continually review this fic saying it is 'trash' and the content is 'illegal' and I should stop writing it, you were warned at the beginning not to read if the content offends you. That is all. Thank you much.

Enjoy!

**Part V**

Rachel pressed her hands against the door to the cheerio's locker room, holding it just barely cracked enough to hear Quinn's crying from inside. She stayed still, on the balls of her feet debating whether or not to go in. All of Quinn's words reeled in her mind, tainted with the screech of Dana's pleas and that broken way Quinn had yelled at her.

The worst of Quinn's cries faded out to only sniffling. Rachel took a deep breath, pushing the door open and walked inside. At the sound of her flats on the ground, Quinn hushed but Rachel found her, knees pulled to her chest in the back most corners of lockers.

Hazel eyes stared up all wide and watery at her. Rachel felt her heart break. It almost felt wrong to be sad for Quinn after Rachel had heard everything she had said to Dana. But the look in Quinn's eyes wasn't that cold-hearted bitch that had dismissed her sister, and the curl of her body inside itself screamed with rattling, broken pieces.

Quinn sniffed, turning away from Rachel to wipe her face with the back of her hand. "Why are you here?" Quinn's voice was a breath of a whisper.

"The tissue they have in the stalls will ruin your pores." said Rachel. She took another step forward, holding a travel package of Kleenex she had gotten from her locker. "I thought these would be better for your complexion."

Quinn's head dropped down to the crossed arms resting across her knees. "Go away,"

"I also have some blush. It may help distract from the redness in your eyes if your cheeks-"

"What about go away do you not understand!"

"I understand it perfectly," Rachel tucked her skirt, sinking down onto a bench and folded her hands in her lap. "I have only chosen to ignore it."

"God, why?" Quinn choked out.

Rachel sat quiet as Quinn began to cry again. Her arms pulled tighter against her legs, drawing her into a tight, little ball against the corner. Shaking shoulders hunched, face hidden completely by folded arms. Quinn clawed at the side of her uniform, trying to draw even more into herself.

Rachel felt her heart shatter. Her body lifted off the bench, foot taking that step forward but Rachel stopped herself. This wasn't freshmen Quinn anymore. This was a Quinn who pushed people away, her own family. This Quinn that needed to be held but didn't need to hear cookie cutter responses. This was a Quinn that Rachel felt like she couldn't touch without pushing another jagged piece into her heart but at the same time felt that maybe she could do something.

"Why?" It was soft, said into the skin of her arm. Quinn laughed, mirthlessly still hidden away. Rachel titled her head, confused at the change. "Why?"

Rachel licked her parched lips, swallowing against the knot that had taken residence in her throat. "Why what, Quinn?"

"Why is it always you?" Quinn's voice cracked as she said it. Bringing up a tear stained, mascara run face, she looked at Rachel with water still spilling from her eyes and bottom lip trembling. And Rachel couldn't take it any longer.

She moved, painstakingly slow with Quinn watching her every step until she was sitting down, with her back against the wall beside her and eyes not able to leave Quinn's that weren't letting up either.

"I'm-" Rachel chewed on her lip. She smoothed her skirt across her bent knees. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to intrude, I never did. I only- I was worried- I'm sorry." She took a deep breath. "I know about Dana and Charlie," she said. "I also know about you- your involvement.

Quinn's torn expression didn't change though Rachel thought she caught a flash of dread cross Quinn's face. "I hadn't meant to eavesdrop. I was only going to make sure Dana was all right, but I happened to overhear your argument in the restroom and-"

"-Okay," Quinn croaked out.

Rachel blinked. She was surprised to find she was blinking back her own tears. "Okay?"

Nodding, Quinn uncurled just barely but her entire body was still drawn and rigid. "I should've told you back then anyway." Quinn sniffed. "You've always just sat there and listened to me cry and whine. I should've told you."

Rachel ducked her head, mind recalling each time. Each of those times she wished she would've just gone ahead and held Quinn in her arms. The one time she was brave enough, it was Quinn who crashed into her and Rachel could only pat her back and whisper encouraging things because she was too shocked by it all.

"You were scared and I understand the reason for it," said Rachel. "The weight of this situation is rather heavy."

Quinn looked away, eyes skewed up to the ceiling to hold back tears. "I love them," she muttered. "I love them so much."

Rachel's hand moved on it's own accord. It landed on Quinn's naked knee gone white from how tightly she had her arms wrapped around her legs. "I know you do,"

Her thumb rubbed once, bringing Quinn's eyes instantly to the spot. Her hand burned against Quinn's skin like a hot stove she need not be touching. But she couldn't move, not with those eyes now on her.

"What all do you know?" Quinn asked, voice almost clear but still dipped between even and a whisper.

Rachel stroked the skin again, staring at the pale, peachy tone beneath the pad of her thumb. "Everything,"

Quinn worried her lip between her teeth, just watching Rachel's thumb move ever so gently. Her body uncurled even more, arms finally loosening the death grip on her leg. They slid down so her hands rested at her ankles. "It's my fault, you know? It's my fault she was taken away."

Rachel only frowned. "Do you want to keep her away?"

"I love my sister's too much to put them through this again. I won't let that happen to us. It hurt too much the first time."

"Are you saying you told Dana those things to protect her?"

Quinn's glare was enough to make Rachel drop her hand away. "I'm not completely heartless,"

"I wasn't saying that you were. I only-"

"You don't know anything about me," Quinn hissed.

"You may or may not be right about that," said Rachel, sitting back. "I only know that she's hurting too."

Quinn's voice let up again. "There's nothing I can do,"

"How long has it been?"

"Four years," Quinn heaved. "I miss her so much. I miss her but, god. Everything is so messed up. Everything." She went to wipe her face on her arm but Rachel quickly offered the Kleenex again. Quinn took one and dabbed it under her eyes as they hardened. "What have you been doing with her?"

Rachel shrugged not eve filching with the sudden change in tone. "Only helping her get into glee,"

"I told you to back off. If you'd only listened, you wouldn't be caught in all of this."

"Didn't you say that you should've told me before?"

"That- that's not the same," Her head dropped.

"Regardless, Quinn," Rachel scooted a tad closer to her. "I helped Dana because I wanted to. I had no intention on any of this happening and I am very sorry for making it more difficult for you all."

"It was bound to happen,"

"Still, I am sorry. But I know… " Rachel bit her lip. "Dana really does want to fix things."

"There's nothing to fix, Rachel," said Quinn. "I'll never forgive myself for getting them caught and there's nothing I can do to help her come back so I have to send her away again."

"You can't do that,"

"I have to. It's the only way to keep them safe."

"What about Charlie?"

"She can stay or she can go,"

"You don't want that,"

"Of course I don't!" yelled Quinn. "But you don't know our dad. You weren't there that night. You don't know what he said or what he did and you don't know what he'll do. I can't make them stop loving each other. I've tried."

"Have you tried maybe talking to your dad?"

"There is no point, Rachel," Quinn stressed. "I've already said that."

"But if you haven't-" she shut up with the flicker of Quinn's eyes. Rachel sighed, looking down to where her fingers were playing absentmindedly with a pleat of Quinn's cheerio skirt. "They know you love them. They don't blame you for what happened."

"You wouldn't know that."

Rachel shrugged. "You love them and they know it. You may have gone about it everything the wrong way but you did what you thought would work because you care."

"I don't want to lose them,"

"I know," And Rachel was certain of it. She could see it all over Quinn, she could hear it in the way she had yelled at Dana in that restroom. "That won't happen,"

"Yes it will," Quinn sniffed. All her tears were dried up and gone. "And when it does, I'll have no one."

"You'll have glee,"

"_Please," _Quinn snorted. Rachel's lips cracked in a smile only because she was happy to see somewhat of a smirk on Quinn again.

"Well," Rachel reached up, moving a loose strand of hair that was stuck to Quinn's damp face. "You'll have me," her fingers just barely grazed Quinn's cheek but it was enough for her skin to react, rising goosebumps.

Quinn turned, staring at Rachel as her hand dropped away. Rachel couldn't read the look in her eyes. "I know I'm not your first pick in friends-"

"You always were," said Quinn. Then she looked away, leaving Rachel speechless. "I said I should've told you from the beginning. That should mean something."

"It does," Rachel felt her stomach flip. "But I will be here for whatever you may need. I mean, that is, if you want me to. I know I have only made things more difficult, but I have been known to be a decent ear for people's problems."

Quinn blinked back to her, surprising Rachel for the second time with a simple, "Okay,"

Rachel sat back with the blow of the word. "Yeah?" She asked, searching Quinn's face.

She shrugged again. "Yeah," Quinn pushed on a tiny smile. "Yeah, maybe,"

-/-/-/-

Something was wrong.

This wasn't right. Dana had been gone too long. Charlie knew her sister skipped from time to time. In middle school she'd write fake doctors notes and forge their dads signature so the school wouldn't call him asking why she were absent. But each of those times, Charlie knew about. This time she didn't and it worried her.

It worried her like Quinn's words had that afternoon when she found her in the library. Charlie knew Dana would regret what they had done. It was all just too different. That fiery hot passion, though there, was subdued. And the way she hesitated to say she loved her…

No. It was stupid. Dana still loved her in that wrong way but Quinn…

"It's been years, Char," Quinn had helped her pack up her things after lunch that afternoon. "I told you it wouldn't last. I told you to forget. You've just gotten yourself hurt again."

Charlie had tried to push it away. She tried not letting those words stick, but they did and so she avoided Dana. If only for a day. She hadn't known her sister was going to go missing and it hurt even more. Because Dana would never skip out on her if she truly cared. So maybe Quinn was right.

At the end of the hall, Charlie caught sight of the Skanks. They held a freshman boy in their hold, shaking him by the color of his coat until his pockets emptied out into one of their hands. She stood in the middle of the hall, debating whether or not to approach then. They were Dana's friends, right? They had to know where she was.

But the very idea if walking up to them had her turning around and walking back the way she came down the hall where she found Rachel at her locker.

"Rachel?"

Brown eyes did a double take on her. Charlie looked into them, trying to find that little flutter she use to feel every now and again when Rachel would catch her eye. It wasn't there, though. It had shifted back to Dana completely.

"Hello, Charlie," she greeted.

"Have you seen Dana?" she asked.

Rachel looked seriously concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing,"

"Are you sure?"

"Just…have you seen her?" she asked. "I only thought- the two of you talk and I- she's skipped the past few days so I haven't known where she's been."

"I haven't seen her, sorry," she replied. Charlie was half surprised she didn't tell her to ask Quinn. Everyone seemed to tell her to ask Quinn, find out from Quinn, oh Quinn already knows…

"Sorry," she drew her books in tighter to her chest. "I only thought you'd know since you helped her with her glee audition."

"I have seen very little of her since," said Rachel, looking both worried and concerned.

"How did the audition go?"

"It went…" Rachel closed her locker, looking up at Charlie confused. "Have you spoken with Quinn lately?"

Or she thought Rachel wouldn't bring up Quinn. "Not really. Should I have?"

"If you- she may be able to help you in figuring out where Dana is,"

Charlie felt her pulse quicken. "What do you know?"

"Nothing really," lie.

"Please tell me?" Rachel wouldn't meet her eyes. "I have to figure out where she is,"

"I really think you should speak to Quinn about this." Rachel shook her head and stepped away. Charlie hurried to fall in step beside her. "It isn't my place to spread word and though I have found myself in the middle of everything, it still isn't right of me,"

Wait. "In the middle of everything?"

Rachel sighed, looking like she had done and said something terribly wrong. Grabbing the cloth of Charlie's dress, Rachel tugged her away. They made it up a stairwell, emptied out with the next period coming up. A lingering boy passed them by and Rachel gave him a small smile before it was wiped clean.

Her head ducked, voice low as she spoke. "I know about you and Dana," Charlie instantly froze, mouth falling open slightly. "I also know about your crush one me, and that's very nice, but I couldn't reciprocate your feelings."

"I- I know. I see the way you look at Quinn-" her mind clouded. Wait. Rachel knew? Rachel knew? Rachel knew what? "You know?"

Her eyes darted around but there was no one else in the hallway. "Yes,"

"About me and Dana and…"

"And Quinn," she finished. Charlie felt like she was going to pass out. "Charlie, it's okay. Both your sisters are aware that I know. I'm sorry that you haven't know that I-"

And all this time she had been doing her best to keep quiet. Don't tell anyone they said. No one will understand they said. No one can ever find out what we did they said.

She turned away, sinking down to sit on a step. "Why didn't they tell me?"

"I don't know," Rachel bit her lip, looking guilty. "I'm sorry,"

Charlie nodded. It wasn't Rachel's fault that her sisters were going around blabbing secrets they had vowed to never breathe a word of to anyone else. It had taken a toll on Charlie. She kept up her end. She kept it all too herself, well, expect Miss Pillsbury. But even then, the heaviness of it all still weighed her shoulders down.

"Where's Dana?" she asked, brow furrowing. "What happened?"

"You should speak with Quinn,"

"Quinn won't tell me anything." Wasn't that already obvious?

She told Rachel of all people. Rachel knew things that Charlie didn't. And Quinn had said she'd never lie to her. That she'd never keep anything from her because secrets tore relationship apart and she didn't want to lose Charlie like she had Dana.

"You have the right to know and Quinn knows that,"

"So tell me," she begged, tugging on the tail of Rachel's skirt. Brown eyes looked down at her wide. "Please, Rachel?"

Slowly, Rachel sat down on the step, tucking her skirt under as she did. Charlie felt her brush against her as she scooted away but not far enough for their voices to carry in the echoing stairwell. Had it been a month before, her stomach would've fluttered and her heart would've picked up in pace with Rachel being near.

Or maybe that was what Charlie had wanted all along - for someone to do that to her the way Dana felt. She often felt like something was wrong with her because nobody seemed to. Not the winks from Noah Puckerman and not those sweet little smiles Finn Hudson would sometimes give her before he realized she was Charlie and not Quinn.

Maybe she had just wanted to feel it so much that she made up the entire crush for Rachel. That she had forced herself to feel those things with Rachel. Whatever it may have been, it was gone. And Charlie couldn't decide whether she were happy or not about it.

Rachel licked her lips as she looked at her. The conflicted look in her eyes made Charlie feel guilty for making her spill, but she had the right to know. Quinn wouldn't tell her and Dana was missing. Rachel seemed the only person to rely on now.

"Rachel,"

"I still think you should speak to Quinn. I'm sure it's not a private matter since it involves all three of you, but I still feel wrong for relaying this."

"Rachel," she dipped her head, looking up through her lashes. "Please? I have to know."

And with one giant in take of breath, Rachel told her.

Rachel told her about the audition, about Quinn's anger and running out. About how Dana had followed her and they argued in the restroom. About how Quinn told Dana what Russell had done and how Quinn said she didn't want Dana either. How they were disgusting and the Fabray home was nowhere for her again.

Rachel's mouth continued running, but Charlie had heard enough. She couldn't make up her mind to be angry with her sister, disappointed or broken. When Dana was gone, Quinn had been her rock. And when Dana came back, Quinn was still that small voice of reason. But this? She couldn't believe it.

"But she only did it to-"

"Stop-" said Charlie.

"Charlie, please listen to the rest. I know you think Quinn hates both of you but she-"

"Rachel, please," her hands covered her ears. She didn't want to hear what she did and why she did it. It was already obvious in everything Quinn had told Dana. She wanted her gone, and if it came to it, Charlie could go on with her. "I don't want to hear anymore."

Rachel fell silent.

They sat there, in the stairwell, quiet for some time. Charlie chewed on the inside of her cheek, hands still covering her ears and mind reeling. Why? Why, why, why? Was that why Dana was gone? Was it because Quinn told her she didn't belong anymore? But Dana never listened to Quinn, so why would she now?

Charlie snapped her eyes up. She knew why. Because despite all of the hell Dana had been put through, she loved them all. Her, Quinn, their mom and their dad. Quinn telling what their parents did to her stuff only told Dana that they didn't care about her anymore. Quinn saying she didn't want her, meant Quinn was just as disgusted with her sister as their parents. And Charlie…She had ignored Dana. Only for a day, but she had.

"Charlie?" said Rachel next to her. "Charlie, really, Quinn does care about you both. If you talk to her, you'd understand."

"No, Rachel," her hands dropped down, head shaking. "I understand enough."

"Do you really?"

"Yes," she nodded, standing up. "I have to get to class,"

Rachel frowned. "What about Dana?"

"She's gone,"

"I don't believe she is," Rachel tried, but Charlie was finished. She got what she needed. "Maybe she's-"

"I know Dana better than anyone," Charlie smiled sadly down at her. "She's gone. Thank you for telling me."

"Yes, you're welcome but you need to speak with-"

She shook her head, cutting Rachel off. "There's no need. Goodbye, Rachel,"

-/-/-/-

"Dana," Shelby knocked on the bathroom door for the third time. "Dana, do not use all the hot water again."

Dana blinked, head angled down at the shower mat. Lukewarm water beat down over her head. She could feel it getting colder and colder by the second, but she couldn't move. She was still a little paralyzed from humiliation at the Skanks dunking her head into the toilet bowl and still ragged over Quinn and Charlie…Charlie who didn't talk to her the next day after the argument with Quinn. Or really the day after that.

"Is everything all right?" asked Shelby. She closed her eyes, tilting her head back so cold water rained on her face, mixing in the moisture from her eyes. "Dana, is everything okay?"

"Yeah," her voice cracked. She cleared it to call again, turning off the tap. "Yeah. It's okay."

"When you're dressed, come down to the kitchen. I want to speak with you."

Dana stepped out of the tub, catching her steam-hazed reflection in the wide mirror. All she could see was the blazing pink of her hair and her reddened, green hazel eyes. "Okay,"

She fluttered her lashes under the harsh bathroom light. With all the make up gone, there was absolutely no mistaking who she was or who she belonged to. Too many years had Dana been mixed up with Quinn. They did all look exactly alike when they were younger, but Quinn was the first to fill out and Dana was the first to have that awkward sit down with their mother about becoming a woman.

There were few times Dana hadn't minded being confused with Quinn. Quinn was the strongest one, though Dana hated to admit it. She was the one who argued with their parents, twisting and turning conversations until she got what she wanted. It was all in that fake smile and girlish laughs that Dana just didn't posses.

But now, as she looked at her reflection, it reminded too much of the sister who had disowned her, who had turned her back on her. Dana wished she didn't have a single resemblance to the girl.

Her fist clutched at her side, itching to punch something. Preferably the mirror, but she refrained. This was Shelby's mirror and Shelby had done nothing wrong. Not to mention punching mirrors hurt. She had done it once at the institute and had to get eleven stitches in her hand for it. Worth it and probably a stunt more badass than those idiot Skanks, but she wasn't exactly proud of losing her temper like that and snapping.

The towel felt grimy and itchy on her skin as she dried off. She tossed on a shirt she found in the back of Shelby's closet that she let her have and cut the sleeves off. Shorts zipped, Dana shut off the light and headed down the hall.

She breathed in the wood polish and damp firewood smell of Shelby's house. She was a stranger to this woman, some girl she took pity on and opened her house for. Yet, Dana felt more at home in Shelby's than she had felt since returning to Lima.

"Hey," she shuffled into the kitchen. There was food already made on the stove. Dana looked over her shoulder at Shelby sitting at the dining table and chewing on lettuce leaf as she read a paper over the rim of her glasses.

Dana took up a plate of salad and pasta ordered in from Breadstix, guilt washing over her. She was meant to get the food that night. It probably would've been Breadstix if the Skanks hadn't stole her cash that day. She'd shit in their lunchboxes for it if the idea weren't so gross to her.

She fell into the chair across from Shelby, apathetically poking at a noodle doused in alfrado sauce. "Bad day?" asked Shelby.

She shrugged. Bad life was the correct answer. As for her day, Dana had skipped out on school. She had actually skipped out on school the past couple days, roaming the Lima Heights Adjacent park near Sheila's house and smoking a little more than half a pack under the wooden jungle gym.

If she didn't belong there then she didn't.

Most times, Dana would've ignored what Quinn said and done what she wanted. But Quinn had been so serious and the slap still stung her cheek when she thought about it and her chest caved in every time she replayed Quinn telling her she didn't want her. That their dad didn't want her. That she was easily erased.

Maybe Dana had known that would've happened, but what was Russell planning on doing? Sending her away and never have her back? Hope that she stayed _unstable_ long enough to be stuck in the institute until she turned eighteen and he no longer had to claim her?

And where was Charlie?

"Dana?"

She drew back away from the papers that were waving in her face. "What?" She snapped.

"Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine. Thanks for asking," she shoved a forkful of pasta into her mouth just to show that it was. But as soon as it touched her tongue, she wanted to spit it right back out. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

Shelby pursed her lips. "Have you spoken with your parents?"

"No,"

"Do you know when you're going to?"

"No,"

"Dana," Shelby sighed, taking off her glasses and placed them on the table. "I know you said soon, but you can't keep living here. The neighbors are going to think I'm having an affair."

She snorted, almost gagging on the amount of food she shoved into her mouth again. "You're not even married,"

"Seriously," Shelby rolled her eyes, tone taking that turn she remembered Judy would when she was fed up with her antics. "Have you even made and effort to go see your family?"

"Define family," she said, Shelby glared. "Not yet,"

"What about Quinn and Charlotte? You see them everyday, don't you? Have they not said anything to you about coming home or have you just been skipping out on school altogether?"

"Only a couple days,"

Shelby shook her head in frustration. "Goodness,"

"Look, I'm working on it." She snapped. "I told you that the situation is screwed up and shit just got real fucked. If you're so scared you're going to lose your job or your stupid neighbors are going to think you're some pedophile, just throw me out."

Shelby's eyebrows shot up, unprepared for her outburst. "Dana, calm down, that's not what-"

Her fist hit the table causing the china to shake. And Dana snapped.

"You think if I could go home, I'd be here?" she waved her hand in the air. "You think if my family wouldn't just throw my ass back into that car and ship me off, I'd be washing your dishes and sleeping on your dumb couch?"

"If you need me to come with you, I can." Shelby cut in. "They're your family, they have to understand."

Dana threw her fork down, sending noodles and salad shooting across the table. "What do you know about family?" she hissed. "Nothing. Because if you did, Rachel wouldn't be walking around school without a clue that her damn mother is just sitting here and doesn't have the balls to go up to her."

Shelby placed her napkin down, jaw tight. "That's enough,"

Dana shot up from her seat. "At least she even has a mother who keeps pictures of her. Do you know what mine did? They burned them. So, no, I haven't talked to my family because I don't have one anymore!"

Dana clutched the side of the island. She didn't even remember getting up. Maybe when the plates and glasses looked like really good things to start throwing. Her chest heaved, jaw flexed and eyes tight. Why had she even come back? Why hadn't she just stayed away, clinging onto that bit of hope someone would call her instead of rushing down home only to realize what hope she had was meaningless.

Shelby took in a long breath behind her. "I apologize," she said evenly, voice tight. "I wasn't aware that things were that bad and it does hurt me to hear that that is how your family has treated you, however," Dana felt the granite dig into her palms. "You can't stay here much longer. I'm sorry, but that is fact."

"Yeah," she nodded, slowly pulling up to stand straight. "Yeah, I know. I get it. I'll go,"

"A few more days is fine, and I will go with you to your house if you need support."

"No, I don't need your support," she spat harsher than she intended. But the rage was still pumping through her. "I can go,"

"Dana!" Shelby called.

Her feet sank down into her boots. She didn't even mind pulling the laces taught. Her backpack was already packed beneath the coffee table and she went into the laundry room to tuck all of her clothes into the gym bag she had been carrying upon arrival.

"You're being irrational,"

"I'm being considerate," she said, clearing her face before Shelby could see she was crying. Dana zipped her gym bag. "You need me to leave, I'll leave."

"Where are you going to go?"

"I have friends,"

"Wait,"

"I'm leaving, Shelby. If you want someone to stick around and keep you company, why not call Rachel?"

The words registered as a slap. She saw the angry hurt in Shelby's eyes just before she turned and stormed out of the door. She was halfway down the street, eyes burning and throat aching when she heard Shelby's door slam shut.

And there goes another person she just screwed up with.

-/-/-/-

Quinn dropped her phone at the open and slam of her door. She looked up confused to see Charlie standing against the door, fist clenched weakly at her side.

"Is there a problem?" asked Quinn, snatching her phone off her bed.

"Why did you tell her?" said Charlie, face trying to hold a scowl but she was unsuccessful.

"Tell who what?"

"Why'd you tell Dana what dad did?"

Quinn closed her mouth, glancing down at her phone. The text to Rachel would have to wait. It would have to wait even though she burned to text Rachel. She needed someone else to know what she had heard. Someone not Charlie or Santana. Someone that she could scream at. But it would have to wait because Rachel had opened her mouth a little too much.

Quinn straightened her posture, hoping the water in her eyes had faded away and the pallid color in her cheeks was gone. "She had the right to know,"

Charlie shook her head, walking across the room to kneel at the edge of Quinn's bed. "We can change his mind,"

"No we can't," Quinn spat. If only Charlie knew.

If only Charlie knew the times Quinn had brought Dana up to their father. She'd take him his favorite cup of coffee, sometimes with sweets, and place it beside him in the study as he worked. She'd ask him how his day was, if he'd have a vacation soon so the family could spend the week down at their lake house together for some time. And each time she brought up the lake house, she had asked if Dana could come too.

"Dana won't be coming home, sweetheart," he'd say, turning to look at her with hard eyes. "Your sister has done something very wrong. She won't be coming back."

Quinn would bite her lip, nod, and switch conversation topics.

She had tried it a handful of times, changing the scenario. She stopped trying after the second year Dana was gone. Russell was getting impatient and his answers would get harsher and harsher.

"She doesn't belong here!" he'd snapped at her once. "I'm sorry, hun, but she won't be coming back."

Quinn kept each time to herself. She had hoped for that one time he said something different for her to run up to Charlie's room, hug her and tell her that Dana would be home soon. It never came. So each time Quinn left the study, she'd go up to Charlie's room, cracking the door just enough to see her sister in a near comatose state curled in her bed.

She'd close it, and walk to her room, pull out that picture of the three of them together, kiss it and draw the strength she needed to pull them though once again.

"What did Rachel tell you?"

"Why do you think Rachel told me anything?"

Honestly, "Because Rachel knows everything and I know Dana didn't tell you and I sure as hell didn't so what did she tell you."

"You told Dana to go away,"

It was a sharp prick in Quinn's chest. A sharp prick almost like the blow she had taken when she had heard her father's voice emitting from the study when she had gotten home. It still hurt her.

Because Russell had been speaking to their aunt. And Russell knew, "She's supposed to be with you. How in the world did you let a seventeen year old girl trick you, Kristen?"

"Trick me?" Quinn heard it from the cell phone all soft and ticked. "You think that I wanted her here any more than you wanted her? Good riddance she's gone."

Russell's voice dipped lower. "We had an agreement,"

"She is your disgrace of a daughter, Russ. She is not my responsibility."

"We had an agreement, Kristen." He had pressed again.

"And once the police find out that you're not taking in your runaway daughter, I'm sure they'll all be more than happy to know about our little _agreement._"

"You filed a report?" His voice was scared but only slightly so. Quinn realized it was from their father she had acquired the skill in keeping her voice even.

"I don't need to. She's a minor. What do you think will happen?" Aunt Kris laughed softly, full of annoyance. "Send me the check you promised and I'll come down and get her myself. Otherwise, you need to deal with your disgraceful spawn."

Quinn had waited in the silence of their voices. She had her back pressed against the wall, heart racing and mouth gone dry from what she was hearing. When she heard the next words out of Russell's mouth, Quinn all but wanted to screamed.

"You will see a check from me in three days,"

"I had better," her aunt said and hung up the phone.

Quinn turned away from Charlie still at the foot of her bed. The conversation still banged around in her skull. Their father knew Dana was back. All along he had known and he had done nothing. She figured she should've known that. A Fabray couldn't very walk around and show face at school without word getting back to their father. But that was beside the point.

It was that he had never brought her up. He never showed sign that he knew or was going to do something about it. He was going to get her shipped away from them once again. Away from the family who didn't want her only to go into hands that couldn't stand her just the same.

But it was better that way, wasn't it? Because Dana being here meant Charlie getting hurt. It meant their family falling apart. It meant bad things and Quinn was sick and tired of bad things.

Quinn took in a sudden breath. "I did it for you,"

Charlie looked angry but the sadness on her face overpowered it. "No you didn't,"

She snorted, holding face. "Of course you wouldn't realize it,"

"You didn't even try,"

"I tried enough," But no one knew that. No one knew the lies she told Russell and no one knew how she had tried to bring Dana back if only for a while. No one knew how many times she played the situation over and over in her head to find out something better.

"You're always lying to me," said Charlie. "You and Dana. You've never told me the truth."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Because you can't handle it,"

"Yes I can," Charlie hissed. Quinn raised her eyebrows, taken aback by her tone. "I never asked you to take care of me. I'm not a little kid."

"Really?" she forced on the mocking smirk, pained to see the way Charlie crumbled at seeing it. "So that's why Dana had to hold your hand every time you went to go potty."

"Why are you always so mean to me?" she cried, pushing up to stand. "What have I done but fall in love with her? I couldn't help that."

"And because of it, we lost her!"

"That's not fair. You're not being fair and you're not being nice."

"Life's not fair," Quinn stood up, unable to look into Charlie's eyes anymore. They were so much like hers. All watery and wide and broken like Quinn saw her reflection in the mirror almost every morning. "I couldn't have you both taken away. You know I lied to dad about everything you two were doing. I lied because I couldn't stand to have you both taken away."

Charlie's head dropped, her fingers fumbling with the lace ribbon on her dress tied into a bow at her stomach. "You shouldn't have,"

"Dana lied for you, too and I backed her up." Quinn's stomach dropped. She couldn't bear to lose both of them like that. Not knowing she had been a part of the mess – the reason for the mess. "You couldn't handle it. You say you can, but you can't. You've never been able to. Do you not remember that first year?"

"I got better,"

"Because of me,"

"You should've told the truth,"

Quinn turned to look over her shoulder. Charlie was staring up at her from the bed with so much hatred it broke Quinn's heart. "You're right," she said, clutching her phone to her chest. "Maybe I should've told. That way I wouldn't have wasted so much time on you only for you to turn around and mess it all up."

Charlie pinched her eyes shut, her voice small as she spoke. "Maybe, huh?"

Quinn looked away. The damage was done and she could take no more of it. "You can leave now,"

Nodding, Charlie stood up on weak legs, heading for the door and turned the knob. "I thought you cared about us. Quinn, I believed you." Charlie muttered, looking right at her. Quinn didn't dare return the gaze. "But you only care about yourself."

"As if the two of you have been worth my time," she said just as Charlie's feet shuffled out of the door.

Quinn let the door click shut. She fell back against it, sliding to the floor. Her thumbs worked quickly to punch in a message to Rachel. Three seconds after she hit send, her phone rang.

"Quinn?" Rachel's voice was frantic over the line. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I told her, but she had the right to know and I told her to ask you but she…Quinn?" she paused, voice lowering. "I'm sorry,"

"Rachel," she whispered, head tucked to her knees once again. "Rachel, I need you,"

There was shuffling on her end. "I'm coming,"

"No," Quinn forced herself to stand up and grab her keys off the dresser. "I'm coming,"

-/-/-/-

Dana stood in front of the house.

It looked different to her. All big and foreboding. It didn't scream home to her anymore. Nowhere did for that matter, but then again, Dana wondered if the Fabray house had ever really felt like home. It was just a house. A house she lived in and only felt home in the arms of Charlie.

She took a step forward, shifting the bag on her aching shoulder. The soles of her feet ached as she took each step. She had been walking all day, wondering aimlessly around Lima. Each step kept taking her to her old home and she'd try and divert the path, but she found herself there.

Dana's hand shook as she lifted it to the doorbell. Her finger pressed it in and she heard the chimes ring through the house.

The door cracked open and Dana felt her heart in her throat. She felt all the hurt and rejection and fear and emptiness as she looked up into those steel blue eyes. Those steel blues eyes that were her last memory of her time in Lima.

They didn't even look surprised to see her as they bore into her. As if he had been expecting her at any minute.

"Hi daddy," Dana's voice shook. She swallowed hard trying to grab that haughtiness in her tone she used to never have trouble conjuring up. "Miss me?"

The door slammed so hard the windows shook.


	6. Part VI

Probably my favorite chapter. And as we draw nearer to the close, thank you for your reviews and alerts and favs. Enjoy.

**Part VI**

What had she done?

Rachel's heart dropped at Quinn's text.

_Charlie hates me. _

That was all it took and Rachel knew what had happened. So she called and Quinn's cracking voice as she cried into the phone made Rachel's own tears spill. She was supposed to be helping Quinn, being that shoulder and that ear. She was supposed to help fix things with Dana and Quinn and Charlie and their family even if she didn't know where to start. But she was supposed to.

Rachel apologized and had all the wind knocked out of her when she heard Quinn say that she needed her. And Rachel froze. It wasn't what she expected, but it made her heart flutter and her stomach clench because Quinn needed her.

She paced her room, wringing her hands and glancing to the phone on her bed. She paced again. Did Quinn even know where she lived? If she didn't ask, she must have. Just like Rachel knew exactly where the Fabray's live. Though she wouldn't admit it was because she sort of snooped it out, just in case she would show up on the front porch and spill her feelings for Quinn.

But that didn't matter in that moment.

Rachel glanced at the clock. Fifteen minutes had past. It only took no more than five to seven minutes to get there from the Fabray's. Rachel stopped pacing, wiped her clammy palms on her pants, picked up the phone and went downstairs.

Her dads were in the kitchen finishing up preparing dinner. Rachel had been helping chop the onions but with Quinn's text, she had ran out of there and to her room before she had to give the excuse of the onions for her teary eyes.

The night was sickeningly hot. Rachel padded onto the porch with bare feet, looking down the street one way then turned the other she knew was the way Quinn should be coming up. Headlights flashed, turning a corner at the end and Rachel felt her pulse quicken as the car drew nearer and nearer and went by. It wasn't Quinn.

But maybe that speck coming up the walk was. She had missed it with the blaring headlights in her eyes.

Quinn walked briskly, her arms pulled around her body like the way Rachel found her in the Cheerio's locker room. It had Rachel's heart lurching forward, followed by her body that skipped down the steps and met Quinn half way.

Rachel reached to touch her shoulder but drew back. Quinn was rigid. Her face was blank and cold and she looked just as untouchable as she had done for years in that polyester uniform. But then Quinn's lip quivered and Rachel ignored the seesaw of what to do and not to do and grabbed her hand, leading Quinn the rest of the way down the walk and into the house.

"Rachel, dinner is ready," called her dad from the kitchen. "You'll be doing dishes since you bailed on the vegetables."

Rachel didn't answer back. She shut the door and locked it. "Come on," she whispered to a still Quinn. "You're okay. We're almost there." She tugged her hand again and Quinn's feet moved with her through the entryway.

"Rachel, did you- oh?" Hiram quirked an eyebrow, eyes going from his daughter to the girl noticeably shaking beside her then to Rachel again. "Hunny, what's going on?"

"Dad, not now," she pleaded with big eyes to him and kept walking with Quinn in tow.

She could feel the girl slowly starting to shatter. She threaded her fingers into Quinn's, asking her to hang on until they got upstairs. She could feel the shaking in her fingers that spread up her arm and to her shoulders. Rachel had never seen someone shake so hard and it made her ask herself again. Why had she opened her mouth? What had happened? Why did she mess up again?

The click of her door was like the shattering of a dam and Quinn lost it. She crumbled, knees quacking and giving beneath her. Rachel quickly grabbed her around the waist, leading them to the floor because there was nothing else to do but fall.

Her head fell against Rachel's chest and Rachel wrapped her arms around shoulders that shook Rachel so violently she felt her teeth chatter against themselves.

"It's okay, Quinn," Rachel spoke close to her ear, doing her best to sooth her with a hand stroking her back. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I told. It's going to be okay," she felt her head move side to side in a headshake against her chest. Rachel pulled tighter. "It's going to be okay,"

"She hates me," Quinn's voice cracked out broken words that Rachel could hardly even understand. "She hates me. They hate me,"

Rachel saw the text again. _Charlie hates me._ It twisted Rachel's insides. She never should have said anything to Charlie. She should've let them talk things out. She should've pushed harder for her to talk to Quinn or to listen to everything else. Because Rachel believed if Charlie knew that Quinn had actually done it all for them – for all of them – Quinn wouldn't be broken down and feeling like she had lost them just like she had predicted with only Rachel at her side.

That thought alone brightened her up, because Rachel wouldn't hate Quinn. She never could. But what did Rachel have on the sisters who Quinn was doing everything in her power to help mend?

"She hates me,_" _Quinn sobbed out again. Rachel dropped her forehead to rest on the side of Quinn's. She breathed in her smell and the saltines of her running tears.

"No one hates you, Quinn," Rachel's lips brushed the side of her face as she spoke. "They love you. You know they do. They love you,"

A hand gripped the back of her sweater and already closed eyes pinched tighter. "Please don't lie to me," she begged, clenching tighter onto her sweater and tighter so onto Rachel's heart. "Don't lie to me,"

"I'd never lie to you," Rachel rocked her, voice hitching. "I'd never do that,"

Rachel rocked her and kept on rocking her. She caressed her back, urging the shuddering away and pressed gentle kisses into her hair. Both her dads showed up, cracking the door enough to see in.

Rachel stared up at them with watery brown eyes as they observed the sight. They knew who Quinn was. Who didn't? They had listened to Rachel's tears of verbal abuse from the cheerio and they heard about the unrequited love Rachel had for that very same girl. And Rachel knew they were concerned and they needed to talk but not right now. Quinn needed her and she wouldn't deny her of that.

"_Later?" _she mouthed to her daddy. He nodded tersely and walked away with Hiram going soon after, drawing the door quietly shut.

Quinn gave another quake and Rachel curved her body back into her. Her body ached from sitting on the floor for…how long had it been? What did it matter? Her body ached from sitting on the floor and pressing so tightly and clutching so tightly onto Quinn they could've molded together. But she'd stay like that, rear and back and arms hurting for her. She was a part of the mess and she'd help clean up the mess.

"They hate me," Quinn repeated, softer and defeated but Rachel said nothing more.

She just held on with the words burning in her throat_, "But I love you, Quinn. I love you."_

-/-/-/-

The door slammed so hard the windows shook.

Dana stared up at the brown door with the golden trim, mouth dropped despite herself. It was predictable, but it still floored her. It was predictable, but it still shattered her. It was predictable, but it shook her and she couldn't take being shaken again. Not by her father. Not by the man who was supposed to love her no matter what. He had already picked her up roughly by the waist and thrown her away. Now she was back and she wasn't going to go without another fight.

Her fist found the door and she pounded. She pounded hard, so hard she thought her knuckles would split open. She hit the heel of her hand into the fake crystal window at the center of the door and made it shiver under the abuse.

She punched at it and kicked at it and she yelled.

"Daddy! Daddy, let me in!" The heel of her hand assaulted the wood. "It's me, It's Dana. Daddy! Dad!" Her fist pounded away, both of them, beating and beating. It ached, turned her porcelain skin red. "Dad!"

How late was it? It was late. The neighbors would be stirring at the ruckus. She knew they would. So how long would her father hold off before the old lady across the street called the police for the disturbance? How long would he hold off before the cops came and would wreck the perfect picture of the Fabray family all because of his vial, disgusting daughter.

Oh.

That was right.

She was vial.

She was disgusting.

She wasn't his daughter anymore. He had burned her things and cast her off, and by default, her mother went with them.

Dana stopped her assault on the door, fist still lying against the wood as she panted.

She wasn't Quinn's sister anymore. Quinn had shut her down in that restroom, under harsh lights that showed every bit of detail in her face as she said it.

Her forehead fell against the glass and she pinched her eyes shut. Her fist unclenched and palms pressed against the door, trying to hold for support.

Charlotte's love had slipped away from her. She had ignored her and avoided her and didn't come looking for her and wasn't she inside? Why wasn't she fighting for her? Was Charlotte not hers anymore, too?

Her nails scratched at the wood as her fingers curved and balled up again.

"Daddy," Dana pleaded, voice raspy and scratched from screaming. "Charlotte, why?" she felt the warm tears seep from behind closed lids. "Please, let me in,"

But nothing came.

There was silence on the other side of the door. Cold silence. As if they were trying to make it seem like no one was inside. It left Dana feeling like just that. Cold and silent and alone and a crumbled mess.

She peeled herself away from the door and started down the steps on legs that were heavy as lead but felt as fragile and split apart like shattered glass. But Dana walked back to the curb, her backpack weighing a tone on her shoulders and the gym bag sagging her left side. Her boots scuffed pavement with raw soles in them that burned and ached.

That was it then, she told herself as she past the second house down. That was it then, she told herself as her tears leaked freely now and the third house went by. She had always been good at never crying. She only did it locked up in her room or at the hours of two or three a.m. at the institute when her roommate was in such a deep sleep she'd never know.

Fourth house down.

Breaking down in front of Quinn showed just how wrecked she was. Breaking down in front of Shelby showed how hopeless everything was. Breaking down now brought everything full circle and forced her to realize that she did have nothing.

Fifth house down.

It was over. It was all over.

Sixth house then-

"Dana!"

There was nothing more left for her.

"Dana!"

None.

"Dana!" What? "Come back!"

Her head whipped around and she blinked back the water that clouded her vision. It didn't work and she wiped at them with her sore and bruised hands.

"Charlotte?" she quizzed, head tilting and confused at the figure bouncing up and down on their front porch.

"Dana! Come back, _please?" _Charlie screamed again.

"Charlotte!" she breathed in sheer disbelief. "Charlotte…"

And Dana sprinted.

She sprinted past that sixth house, forgetting about how bad her feet hurt and how bad her hands were starting to ache and how much her chest was clenching.

She just ran, fifth passing by in a flash, wishing she had worn converse instead of boots because they slowed her down. But when she saw Russell storming out of the house to grab a waving Charlie, Dana pushed hard, boots smacking heavily on the pavement right by the fourth then third...

"Dan-!" A hand clasped over Charlie's mouth and flashes of the night Dana was ripped away from her sister and literally dragged across the basement floor sprang to mind. She ran harder.

Second house.

Arms flailed as Russell tugged Charlotte back, across the porch, past the threshold.

"No!" Charlotte cried out. "Daddy, stop!" Charlotte grabbed the doorframe, buying Dana more time.

First house.

Russell yanked and Charlie's hands ripped off the wood and she went sprawling into the house while Russell grabbed the door, built up all the strength he could to smack the door shut on her face again but Dana hit home.

She used her deadweight against the door, the force pushing Russell back and sending her toppling forward, into a body that gasped for air as it hit the hardwood.

Charlie gasped again, trying to catch her breath from the impact that knocked it out and wrapped her arms around Dana on top of her. Dana dropped her head into the crook of her neck, sobs racking her body too hard to speak and breathing her in, breathing in the smell that was home. Charlotte was home.

"Stop it!" Charlotte's voice choked out. Dana could do nothing but hang on as someone yanked at her waist, trying to wrench her away from Charlie. No. Not again. Not this time. "Daddy, stop! I won't let her go! Stop it!"

"Give her to me!" Russell roared back and Dana felt him jerk her again. She hung on even tighter so and felt Charlie's arms crush her, crushing her against her chest, legs hooked on hers to keep them from being torn apart again. Not again.

"No,"

"Charlotte!"

"Russell!" Judy's voice cut through the air and everything seemed to stop. "Russell, stop it," Dana's head turned just slightly to see her mother smack her husband's hands away from Dana then stormed to the door, slamming it shut and wheeled on him.

There was a fire in her eyes that Dana had never seen. There was an edge in her voice that scared Dana because not once had Judy ever spoken like that to him. At least not when they were around. It made Dana's heart swoon with hope that, yes, her mother would do something. Her mother would no longer stand idly by and let him rip them apart for things like forbidden love that Dana just couldn't control. Her mother was bitter about burned pictures she had cherished so much in her antique picture frames.

"What do you think you're doing?" Judy barked, lips tight and face red and blue eyes wide. "The neighbors!" she hissed. That was it. It was about the neighbors. Not her. Not Dana. Not her daughter.

Dana felt all her hope go plummeting past every single circle of hell and into the abyss that swallowed her whole.

-/-/-/-

Quinn woke up with a gasp for fresh air. She had been out too long, sucked in the blackness of her sleep that was littered with images of Charlotte and Dana and her dad and the basement all mixed into one that had her wishing it would stop. It tore her open and had no end in sight of mending her back the way that dreams should. Because they were dreams and dreams meant alternate realities where things were fixed.

But that failed to happen in her dream and when Quinn woke up, it was only intensified in her reality.

Her eyes split open to find her face buried in pink fabric. It startled her a moment before she remembered walking to Rachel's the previous night with no recollection of ever walking back home.

She was going to drive there. She had her keys in hand and she fell into her car and cranked it up. But she could hardly see the speedometer through her tears and her hands were shaking too much against the gearshift. So she got out and started walking.

Rachel wasn't that far away anyway. She only knew because Brittany lived two streets from there and Brittany would always point down Rachel's street and wave as if Rachel would see her. Still, she didn't know which house it was but Rachel being on the porch saved her. Rachel running to her halfway down the sidewalk saved her more. But what saved her the most was the hand that took hers and dragged her along.

The blur of two men in a kitchen went by Quinn's vision and their voices were mush in her ears but Rachel never stopped moving. Not until they were upstairs in her bedroom.

And Quinn fell apart. She hardly remembered it all.

She vaguely registered arms circling her shoulders and falling. Falling down, down, down and thinking it would never stop but there was some sort of rope on her that was Rachel's words in her ears and her hand on her back. Quinn's hands reached out, grasping fabric until the warmth of Rachel's body was against her, absorbing all of the terrible feeling out of her.

In it, Quinn wondered if that was how Dana felt. Because just having her sisters hate her was torture. They were everything to her.

They were those brats who always played in the backseat and made their parents snap at all three of them. They were the sisters who were dragged along with her and Judy to Quinn's fist cheerleading try out when she was eight. Dana pouted, angry she couldn't bring her comic book and Charlie sat there, clapping Quinn on and at the same time engaging herself in Dana to keep her from sulking too much.

They were the ones who had taught her things. Bad things she knew she shouldn't have known or ever done with them down in that basement. But her curiosity was peaked and, if she had to admit, she was a little jealous of the closeness that the other two had.

So she went there and she swallowed down the awkwardness and the wrongness of how it felt when Dana took her lips and wrapped slender arms around her neck pressing them together. Through the roaring of her conscience and through the nausea when Dana striped her down, Quinn let it all go and she let Dana love her.

And Quinn tried to love her back in that same wrong way but she could never do it like Charlie. And Quinn could never, would never, touch Charlie or let her touch her that same way. Because Charlie was pure and Charlie didn't need double the weight of both of them. It crushed Quinn to see that uncaring and undeniable love in Charlotte's eyes when she let Dana take her.

God it made her sick. It made her sick, but that's what it was. Dumb, horribly wrong, and sweet love that Quinn showed them by condemning Dana and brushing Charlie off. Because she did love them and she wished they saw she did it for them, for all of them. But it didn't stop the caving of her chest when Charlie walked out on her or when she left Dana in that restroom.

They had to hate her.

They just had to.

But if it kept things from breaking apart again, she'd take it.

"Quinn?" the voice was soft and tainted with worry above her.

She pulled her head up, slightly disoriented and startled at the pair of brown eyes that were staring back at her. Quinn blinked out the tears that sat on the edge of her lids and bore up into Rachel's warm eyes.

"Hey," said Rachel. Her hand came up, brushing blonde hair out of her face. Quinn couldn't resist the shiver from the fingers just barley touching her jaw.

"Hi," she winced at hearing her voice. If her voice sounded that bad, she knew her face looked no different.

Quinn blinked again and she felt the soreness of them. How long had she cried last night? Her head throbbed from it and her throat felt raw. There was a dull ache in her arms and her back was no better. Even her fingertips had pain. Like someone had pushed her nails back for hours.

"Quinn?" Rachel touched her face again and Quinn remembered.

She remembered being cradled against Rachel for hours on that floor, drawn in tight. Tight enough to make her body ache. She had clutched onto Rachel with her fingers like her life had depended on it. She had clawed and clawed hard enough to make her nail beds throb.

And she had shaken like some sort of fit had come over her and she let Rachel rock her and tell her things would be okay and that she was sorry. And Rachel had peppered kisses on Quinn's hair and temple and cheek and walked her over to her bed where they crashed and Quinn begged her not to leave her.

"I won't leave you," was what Rachel told her. Just like Rachel had said earlier that she'd never lie to her. "I'd never leave you,"

Her tone eased Quinn enough, but she still hung onto her. Rachel didn't push her away or argue. She just curved her body with hers and touched puckered lips to Quinn's forehead.

Quinn frowned, looking away from the eyes peering down at her. "I'm sorry,"

"You have nothing to apologize for," Rachel's finger traced down her temple and over the curve of her cheekbone. Quinn replaced the feeling of her finger with the feeling of her lips - those lips that had eased her down. They had calmed the storm inside of her, if only enough to sleep. And those lips had…

Quinn snapped her neck back up, just staring into warm, brown pools. Warm brown pools that echoed the same intensity that Quinn had felt when those words had dripped off Rachel's lips with such ease and desperation and too much conviction to be empty.

Words that could mean anything. They could've just been said to soften her tears, to help her start stitching herself back up but none of that sounded right. Not when Rachel had whispers ever so softly,

"I love you. Quinn, I love you,"

Maybe Rachel just knew how much she needed to hear those damn words. Because they no longer resided behind the doors of the Fabray home. She had lost that after the incident. They all had. Maybe Russell didn't know about her involvement, or maybe he knew they had been lying, but she didn't hear it from him. And when she did, it always sounded empty. Empty and forced. Like it pained him to express love for such dirty girls as his daughters.

But coming from Rachel it had sounded so, oh so, genuine and Quinn couldn't deny the swell in her heart as it sunk into her ears and processed through her mind. It had sank into her and made her cry even harder. Because what had Rachel said in that locker room?

"You'll have me," was what she said when Quinn said she was certain she no longer had her sisters. And now she didn't, and that love had been switched to hate but Rachel…Rachel had said…

Rachel's finger was on a path across her hairline and down between her eyes when Quinn spoke. "What did you mean?" she asked and Rachel's hand instantly stilled. "What did you mean when you said it?"

Rachel's eyes shifted ever so slightly away from her then back almost like she couldn't take her eyes off Quinn's for too long. Taking in a deep breath, her hand started to move again.

"I meant it the way it sounded,"

"It could've sounded any sort of way to me," Quinn pointed out.

It could've sounded like pity. It could've sounded like sorry. It could've sounded the way Santana always grumbled she loved her after Quinn got her off the hook for something and teased her until she said it, deepening their friendship. Still none of those sounded right for Rachel.

Quinn swallowed. "But what did you mean?"

Rachel let a long breath out of her nose and dropped her hand away from Quinn's face. "Are you really going to make me say it again?"

Quinn dropped her eyes. No. She wasn't going to make Rachel do or say anything. She wasn't going to treat Rachel like she had treated her sisters: Pushing them and making them leave and making them hard against her.

"You don't have to," she muttered. "Not if it was just to make me feel better."

Rachel said nothing. Quinn kept her eyes down. She squeezed her right hand and found that it was still grasping hold of Rachel's sweater. She held it there, still trying to keep something of substance in her hands.

Rachel's chest expanded and deflated in one long heave and Quinn felt like apologizing again but Rachel's own voice shut her up.

"I love you, Quinn," said Rachel with that same hearty affection that made Quinn hold her breath and clench her sweater and tighten her legs that had at some point tangled into Rachel's in the night.

"I have loved you for some time and maybe it wasn't wise of me to say it considering the state you were in, but you must know how much it pains me to see you like this."

Quinn slowly brought her chin back up to meet Rachel's eyes but this time they weren't looking at her. Why weren't they? She wanted them to. "How much?"

They flicked back, a tiny, meaningless smile tugging the corner of her mouth. "Have you never watched someone you love go through tremendous pain?" Yes. Of course she had. She watched Dana collapse in front of her. She watched Charlie wither away for a year before her eyes. "It isn't a pleasant feeling in the least."

"No it isn't," Quinn admitted. It was why she was in the state she was in.

It was why she had walked all the way to Rachel's house and fell into her and let it all sink out of her into the girl who had done what Quinn couldn't. She couldn't tell Charlie what she had done because it would've killed her more. Rachel had done it for her, without her consent, but she had and it was the next move on the chessboard that needed to be taken.

It was why she allowed Rachel, Rachel Berry, whom she had tormented for years but secretly wished to reach out to and have catch her. Let her finally hold her in that moment and kiss her hair and face and warm her up. It was why her heart had swelled and squeezed so much when Rachel said she loved her then repeated it again, clear as day, and confessed.

It was why Quinn had to shut that down too.

"Rachel," Quinn started. Fingers were mapping out her face again, tracing curves and smoothing skin. It felt nice. It felt like care and love she had lost four years ago. "Rachel, stop," and she did. "I'm sorry,"

Quinn slid herself away from her. It felt painful to untwine their legs and to let go of that sweater. But she had to so she sat up, leaning back against the headboard and pulled her knees to her chest.

"Rachel, you know I-"

"Don't," Rachel said, quickly. She sat up herself, crossing legs beneath the blankets. She looked small again. Small unlike she had been last night when she had seemed so big and able to carry Quinn's weight. "Dana already told me you'd never be with me no matter what."

She had? And why would she do that? Quinn had never expressed any interest in Rachel. She had never entertained the thought. Well, not for any length of time that is. She shut those thoughts down as well and took a breath.

"Do you understand why?"

Rachel looked up at her, eyebrow cocked. "Because of Dana and Charlie?"

She nodded, sadly. "I watched what secrets and lies did to us once. I broke both of my sisters to keep that very thing from happening again. To go and do the same with you-"

"You don't have to explain,"

Quinn sighed. "I'm sorry,"

"I know,"

Quinn dropped her face to her knees, turning to look at Rachel. "You were always my first choice,"

Rachel's eyes widened then her head dropped to look in her lap with flaming cheeks. "I still love you," she muttered.

"I still need you," said Quinn, drawing Rachel's eyes back up to hers. "Is that enough?"

"Yes," the force in Rachel's smile pained her to see bit she needed it. She couldn't take it if Rachel refused her as well. "Yes, that's enough. But," Rachel's mouth closed. She shook her head.

Quinn narrowed her eyes. "But what?"

"What if things were different?" her lip drew between her teeth, chewing on it before she continued. "What if your sisters could've been happy together and your dad was never an issue or your reputation or any of this? What if things were different? " Rachel took in a breath after spouting off everything.

"If things were different?" Quinn repeated.

"Yes, if they were,"

Quinn drew in a breath. If things were different would she? If things were different then, "Yes,"

Rachel clamped her jaw to keep it from dropping. "Honestly?"

"Yes," Quinn said, heart racing. "Maybe," she flickered her eyes back up to Rachel.

The Rachel who had been there from the very beginning and always held that place in Quinn that yearned to just fall into her. It didn't make sense to her why that was. Rachel was the loser of all McKinley losers. She was the uptight, diva who tried to rule glee club. Yet, she was the one who sought out Quinn when she was broken and tried to repair her despite everything.

She was Rachel who confessed she had loved her, actually loved her, all this time and Quinn couldn't deny what that did in her. It did in her what she saw the love Dana had for Charlie do.

"I'm sorry," Quinn murmured because it was all she had. Wreck Dana, wreck Charlie and wreck Rachel. "I'm so sorry,"

"There is no need to apologize," Rachel reached out, running her hand along Quinn's arm until she found her hand and pulled it. She laced their fingers together. "I still love you,"

"Yeah," Quinn smiled, looking down at their hands. Was this how Dana and Charlie felt? This forbidden love that could crush their family all over again. "I still need you,"

The corner of Rachel's mouth tugged back just barely. "And that's enough,"

"That's enough?"

"For now," Rachel confessed, squeezing their hands. "That's enough,"

"Thank you," Quinn grinned but it was swiped off just as quickly with the buzzing of a phone.

Their hands fell apart and Rachel hurried to push aside sheets and blankets until she found the shivering device and picked it up. Quinn plucked her phone out of Rachel's fingers, saw her house number flash on the screen and answered.

"Hello?"

"Q?" Charlie's voice hissed through the phone but it wasn't angry. It was scared. "Quinn? Quinn!"

Quinn leaned off the headboard. "Char, calm down,"

"I've been calling you all night!" she shrilled but it didn't go above a whisper.

"I'm sorry. I-Char? Are you crying?" Quinn scooted forward, legs dangling off the side of the bed. Rachel watched her carefully. "Charlotte, what's wrong? What is going on? Why are mom and dad yelling?"

"Q-" was all she could choke out. "It's Dana. It's Dana, you have to come home."

"What about Dana?" Quinn turned to see Rachel's eyes just as wide as hers. She scooted closer to her. Quinn pressed the phone closer to her ear. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's home, Quinn. Dana's here," Quinn sucked in a gasp of a breath. Rachel's hand landed on her back, moving in circles to calm her down. "She came home last night after you-you left- Quinn, you need to come home."

"Okay," she got up, almost tripping in the process. "I'm coming home. Are you okay? Is Dana okay? What's happening?"

"He locked Dana up again," Charlotte muttered. "He-"

"Get off that phone!" Russell's voice boomed and Quinn drew the phone away from her ear.

"It's Quinn, daddy. It's Quinn!"

"Quinn Fabray," Quinn heard him roar into the line. "You had better be coming through my front door in ten seconds."

"Yes sir," she sounded immediately and dropped the phone once she heard the line go dead.

"Quinn?" Rachel appeared in front of her that moment, picking her phone off the floor where it had clattered and took her shivering hands. "What happened?"

She swallowed, looking down into wide brown eyes. "Dana's home," was all she said before Rachel took her by the wrist, grabbed her keys, and drove them to the Fabray house.

-/-/-/-

"Russell, what is going on?"

"Leave it alone Judy, I'm taking care of it,"

"When were you going to tell me?"

"I said, leave it alone!" Russell barked. "I'm taking care of it."

Charlie sat in the middle of her bed. The button from her blouse she hadn't sown back on slipped from one clammy hand to the other. She rolled it in her fingers, watching the tiny, light blue piece of plastic glide through. She focused on it, and only it, trying to drown out the sounds of her arguing parents.

It had been that way the previous night when Dana came busting through the door. Charlie's shoulder blades still ached from how hard she had hit the hardwood having been thrown down by Russell then collapsed on by Dana. But it was a bittersweet pain. Bittersweet because she had held on, and held on tight, and Dana was home. Locked up, but home. But the previous night…

She had heard the door slam. It brought Charlie out of her tear blotched homework and down the stairs where she saw Russell standing in the entry foyer. He looked at her, anger in his eyes that made Charlie swallow down the question of who it was at the door.

"Go back upstairs, sweetheart," he told her. And Charlie would've gone had the pounding not started.

It rattled the door, It rattled the windows. Judy came out of the kitchen with terrified eyes.

"I'm handling this, Judy," he told her and she flitted back on into the kitchen with not a backwards glance. But Charlie stayed because a voice accompanied the assault on the door. Dana's voice.

"Daddy?" Charlie came down one more step. He warned her with his eyes for her to go back up, to ignore it like she was supposed to. "Daddy, let Dana in," she pleaded in the most sweetest voice. A voice so broken and sugary that she thought it would work. She needed it to work.

"Go back to your room," he ordered again.

She could feel the warm tears spill from her eyes. "Daddy, please?" she begged almost at the same time she heard Dana scream for him to let her in. He ignored it like she was nothing more than a pesky itch that would be gone if it wasn't disturbed.

"Charlotte," a finger pointed at him and Dana stopped trying to beat down the door. He glanced back over his shoulder. Charlie followed his eyes.

She could see Dana's pink head leaning against the glass on the door. She could see her and Charlie's fingers itched to lace her fingers with them, to pull and crash Dana against her. She needed her back and she didn't care what her dad had done or what Quinn said. Dana was hers, and she wanted her back.

But pink lifted away and Russell turned up his eyes to look at her. "Go to your room." He commanded.

Charlie had no choice but to nod and go back up the stairs. He waited until she was all the way up and heard the click of the door she didn't go behind. She waited until he walked away from the front door.

And with every bit of strength Quinn had once given her and ounce of rebellion Dana taught her, she bolted down those stairs, swung the door open, and she screamed for her sister to come home.

Charlie felt a smile tug on her lips at the memory. The memory that was in perfect slow motion and had her heart race. She didn't think Dana would've made it back before Russell dragged her back into the house, but she did. She did and it was glorious for those minutes she held onto Dana tighter than she had ever done.

Then Judy broke her heart and Charlie's grip loosened in shock just enough for Russell to rip Dana away and throw her back behind that door. That same door she was shoved into and had slammed on her face and locked from the outside years ago.

Charlie brought her head up from her lap. The house was quiet again. She heard pots and pans in the kitchen and the pat of her dad's business shoes travel across the floor downstairs. Pocketing the button, Charlie got up, pushing her door open slowly and padded to the end of the hall.

She eased down to her knees at the door. The door that was Dana's old room. The room she used to sneak into every night and curl up in Dana's old blankets. She had done it every night, crying into those blankets and clutching them to keep herself from crying too loud. In the first year of having her gone, it was the only way Charlie could feel. Until their dad found out.

He told her to go back to her bed and he locked it from the outside so she couldn't go back in. But that's when Quinn was her savior and she snuck into Charlie's room one night and pressed a cold piece of metal into her hand. The key. She eased her out of bed, and walked her down the hall and helped her twist the key in the lock and the door was opened to her again. If only for a while.

After that, Judy took out Dana's old things and the room no longer smelled like her and Charlie felt her chest cave back in and the life drain away. She remembered Quinn's worried eyes that would look at her across the dining table. Charlie would look away and excuse herself before it started to hurt too much that Dana's chair had been taken away from the table.

It's in those memories that Charlie wondered where that Quinn went. The Quinn who snuck into their dad's study and stole keys. Or would come to her room well after dinner and beg and plead and coax her into eating something because she didn't want Charlie to wither away from her.

She wondered where that Quinn went after Rachel told her what had happened and she wondered even more when she had confronted Quinn later that evening. Even so, Charlie knew Quinn was the only one that could possibly do something now. So she had called her and she was waiting for her to get home.

"Dana?" Charlie said as loud as she could without notifying her parents. "Dana," she hissed again and slid her fingers through the slit at the bottom of the door.

She leaned her back against the door and waited. Seconds past before she felt Dana's cold hand touch hers and she gasped, feeling the electricity shoot up her arm and electrocute her heart, shocking tears into her eyes.

"Dana,"

"Hey," came the voice back. Dana's thumb brushed over her knuckles ever so slightly. "You shouldn't be down here,"

"When has that ever stopped me?"

There was the smallest of a laugh. It made Charlie's heart sing then putter out. "Dana," she swallowed, trying to curve her fingers. She needed to hold that hand. Dana caught on and wrapped her fingers around them as best she could. "Dana, I'm sorry,"

"For what? You got me home,"

"I know, but I-"

"You kept your promise," she said and squeezed her fingers. Charlie closed her eyes relishing in it. "You helped me get home,"

"I suppose I did,"

"You did,"

Her smile returned but the frown came back almost instantly. "I'm sorry I ignored you. I didn't want you to leave. I love you and I'm sorry. I didn't know what Quinn-"

"Shh," another stroke and Charlie felt her stomach flutter. God, she missed her. She missed her and she was right there. Just two inches of wood away. "Forget about Quinn,"

"But, I'm- She-"

"Charlotte," and that was all it took for her tears to start falling. "It doesn't matter. I'm home. I'm not going anywhere. I'm home and you did that."

"I did,"

"You did," yes she did. "You did it,"

Charlie beamed through her tears. She pushed her hand back more, trying to slid her knuckles under the door but they got caught half way. Dana pulled her hand away only to flatten it and slip her fingers along the carpet so they fell between each one of Charlie's.

Her head fell back against the door and Charlie pictured Dana doing the same. Wishing that a stupid door wasn't separating them but still grateful that it was no longer states and hours and cold words and lies. Dana was home and Charlie had done that and she'd do anything to keep it that way.

The front door opened and shut downstairs. Charlie's eyes fluttered open at the sound of Russell snapping at Quinn about where she had been and,

"I'm sorry, Rachel," he said and Charlie felt the tension in Dana's fingers just as much as she felt it in herself. Why was Rachel there? "This is really not a good time. I appreciate you bringing Quinn home, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"No," Quinn said and Charlie stiffened. "Rachel stays,"

"Quinn," Russell gave a frustrated sigh.

"Rachel is staying," she said again, more forceful. Forceful in a way Charlie only heard her use when commanding her squad. A voice she only used when she cared and she would not back down. But for Rachel? She'd do it for Rachel but not her and not Dana?

"You're in enough trouble already, Quinn. Do not make this harder on you."

"Or what?" Quinn hissed but their father said nothing more.

"Go," said Dana. The feeling of her fingers drawing away felt like the very skin being ripped off. "Go down there,"

Charlie yanked her hand back and got up, going far enough down the stairs to see Quinn standing beside a Rachel who held her eyes downcast and fumbled with her hands at her stomach. Russell stood in front of Quinn, nose flared. It was the second time in just a few hours that another one of his daughters had stepped up to him.

Charlie could see the anger coiling up his spine and making it rigid.

"Rachel stays," Quinn said evenly.

Charlie scanned her sister. Her eyes were puffy and red like she had spent the entire night spilling tears. She looked worn and beat but there was still a steadiness in her shoulders that Charlie knew only Quinn could hold while faced with Russell Fabray.

"Lucy Quinn, do not disobey me."

"Then don't lie to me," his eyes widened, Charlie's snapped to their father and Rachel brought hers up to look from Quinn then caught eye of Charlie and looked up at her.

"Excuse me?" Russell stepped forward.

Fear flickered across Quinn's face as he drew closer to her. It was the fear that Charlie had always felt when faced with their father. She had never known such fear from him until the incident. The previous night brought it all back ten times worse when his arms wrapped around her, picked her clear up off the porch and threw her to the floor back inside.

Charlie's heart raced at the sight. She would've backed down already but not Quinn. Quinn took one step back and reached out behind her like she was trying to grab something. Her hand landed on Rachel's arm and she held on.

Strength returned to Quinn's eyes. "Don't lie to me," she snapped again, voice quivering if only a bit. "You've been lying to me, to Charlie, to mom. You knew Dana was back. You've always known."

Quinn pulled on Rachel's arm until it loosened and she slid her hand down to take Rachel's hand into hers. Charlie gaped.

"I heard you talking to Aunt Kris the other day. What agreement did you make with her?"

Russell glanced down to see Quinn's fingers lace into Rachel's. Charlie leaned her body against the wall hovering just before the last three steps. When had she started walking down them again? When had dad talked to their aunt? When did Quinn hear and what did she know?

"What is going on this time?" Judy finally surfaced. She observed the sight, completely looking over Charlie and past Rachel to stare angrily at Quinn. "Quinn, where have you been?"

"Rachel," Russell ignored his wife. His voice came down to the smooth calm that Charlie knew was only temporary. It would only hold so long before it would explode. She had heard it before.

Before when he talked to her a few days after Dana was taken away. She couldn't talk then. Her throat was dry and her tongue didn't seem to work and he just kept asking her what she was thinking. Why the hell did she let her touch her that way? What happened to his baby girl? She was dirty now. She saw it in his eyes. He looked at her with such disgust that had never gone away. It broke her down just as much as Dana's leave. And when she wouldn't answer, his silk voice switched to such a yell that Charlie still heard in her nightmares.

"You need to go," he told Rachel.

Rachel nodded, trying to hold his eyes but she couldn't. No one could. "Yes, sir,"

"No," Quinn tightened her hold on her hand.

"Quinn," Rachel's voice cooed in a plea. "Quinn, I'll go. You'll be okay. It's okay."

"No, it's not," Quinn's knuckles were white at how hard she was holding on. It reminded Charlie of herself. Of how she wouldn't release Dana. "Rachel stays and I stay and Charlie and Dana stays."

"Dana doesn't belong here," Russell said through his teeth, starting to lose his composure.

"Then neither does Charlie!" Quinn snapped. "And neither do I! Look, dad," she raised her and Rachel's joined hands. "Does this bother you? You can't stand it can you?"

Russell's eyes shut as he tried to contain control. He wouldn't lose it in front of a guest. "Go home, Rachel,"

"Just like you can't stand the fact that Dana and Charlie love each other." Quinn continued on and Charlie saw Russell's eyes open and his cheek twitch. "Well, Rachel loves me. She loves me so what are you going to do?"

"Quinn!" he barked.

"What are you going to do, dad?"

"Quinnie," Judy stepped forward, hand on her chest as she gasped.

Charlie felt her body slid down the wall and her rear hit the step. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe anything. Quinn was throwing them all under the bus. She was standing up for them. She was. Charlie felt her heart squeeze and her heart ache and everything inside of her just drop and lift and everything she couldn't even describe.

"What agreement will you make this time?" Quinn challenged him, taking that step forward that she had earlier drawn back. Her neck craned back, staring into blazing blue eyes with her own, watery, burning hazel. "How much money will you spend to get rid of all of us?"

"Money?" Judy looked at her speechless husband. "Russell, what does she mean?"

"Aunt Kris will be here in two days, won't she dad?" said Quinn, her own voice slipping into the timbre of Russell's. Calm, collected, intimidating. Charlie shivered.

Quinn's head cocked, her voice perfectly even. "I guess we'll find out then,"


	7. Part VII

One more after this, friends. Enjoy.

**Part VII**

Rachel's heart pounded.

The look on Russell Fabray's face was unlike Rachel had been presented with before. It was frightening to the point Rachel wanted to run away and hide. She just wanted to hide away from those eyes and that smoldering red face in a place where it would never find her.

Rachel wondered how Quinn had done it. How Dana and Charlie, sweet Charlie, had lived so long with a man who was capable of making someone feel so incredibly small and useless and like they were waste that had no means of living or privilege of breathing.

But Quinn wouldn't let her go and Rachel was stuck there. Just stuck, listening to Quinn spout off Rachel's love for her. It made Rachel's heart soar for so many things. One because Quinn had actually heard her when she said she loved her. Quinn had taken it and she hadn't thrown it away like Rachel thought she was going to. Quinn took it and she used it and it made Rachel applauded her on the inside because it was the bit she needed to make her point.

It made her insides do all sorts of things to stand there and watch Quinn finally stand up for her sisters. But she could hardly let it sink in when she was standing in front of Russell Fabray. Then Judy had made an appearance and Quinn said something about an Aunt Kris and then they were moving.

They were moving fast and Quinn was grabbing hold of Charlie's hand pulling her up and both of them up the stairs and into Quinn's room. It was when Quinn got the door shut and locked when her parents began to yell at each other from downstairs. It was fierce and hit Rachel's ears on harsh notes and made her chest hurt. But it would never twist her up as much as the way Russell had looked at her.

"Oh my god," Quinn muttered. "Oh my god. Oh god. Oh god,"

Rachel moved quickly, passing a still stunned Charlie on the carpet and caught Quinn in her arms as she slunk down to the floor. It brought the previous night all back to her. How Rachel had done the very same thing, catching her and holding her, while Quinn cried. But this time Quinn wasn't crying as much as she was panicking.

"Quinn, calm down," Rachel sat her up so her back lay against the door. "Breathe,"

"Rach- oh god," Her arms found themselves around her body, hugging herself tightly. Wide hazel eyes hardly blinked as she gasped for air. "Rachel- what-"

"Breathe, it's okay. Calm down, everything's okay," Rachel brushed hair out of her face. She smoothed her hand along the length of Quinn's forearms easing her down.

Quinn's entire body was shaking. Rachel could feel it just as much as she could feel herself doing the same. Her whole body was tingling and trembling and Rachel couldn't stop it. She was just so- amazed and shocked and mind blown and happy all in one that her brain didn't know what to do with everything.

"You're okay," Rachel cooed, her voice shivering the tiniest bit.

"I just-" Quinn finally caught her breath. "What did I just do?"

Rachel smiled, reeling back through what happened. From the time they ran out of her house and drove to the Fabray house. Quinn didn't have to ask her twice to come with her even though as soon as Rachel walked inside and saw Russell standing there, she wanted nothing more than to turn around and walk out.

But Quinn needed her and Rachel would not deny her of that. And Charlie who Rachel had seen on the steps looking pale white and frightened needed her. And Dana, wherever she as locked up in the house, needed her.

"Rachel, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,"

"It's okay," Rachel assured her. "You needed me there and that's okay."

"I'm sorry I used you like that,"

"If it helped, I don't mind."

"Thank you," Quinn lurched forward, wrapping slender arms around Rachel's neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you,"

Rachel circled her waist, feeling everything within her rise up and grip onto to Quinn. Because watching her stand up to Russell had been amazing to see. Rachel always knew it was in her. It was what made Rachel fall in love with Quinn. Her unwillingness to back down for things she wanted. It was her determination to try and try again and never take in failure. It was the innate love Quinn possessed that drove her to pushing to the very limit and doing absolutely whatever it took to maintain that love.

"I love you," Rachel couldn't help herself from saying.

She felt Quinn's grip loosen from around her and she watched bright eyes make it to hers again. "Rachel,"

"I know. I-"

She shook her head, cutting her short. "I need to sort everything out in my head. First with my family, and then when I can breathe again, I'll sort out why I feel this way every time I hear you say that. But until then,"

Rachel nodded, chewing on her lip. "I'll keep it to myself,"

"Thank you," Rachel took her hand, bringing it up to her lips and kissed the top of her knukles.

Quinn offered a sad smile, cheeks tinted pink as she crawled away from her towards Charlie who sat on the floor against the foot of the bed.

"Char," Quinn breathed, taking her sister into her arms. "Charlie, I'm sorry. I'm sorry and I'll explain."

"Quinn," Charlie said and that was all. She just closed her eyes and embraced her sister, holding on tight. "We have to keep Dana here,"

"I know," Quinn cradled Charlie's head against her chest. "We will. We have to."

Rachel slumped against the door, watching them cry in each other's arms with Quinn apologizing and Charlie accepting every one of them without a bit of hesitance. And Rachel smiled and she hoped and she prayed that Dana would soon be in the mix and everything would be fine.

In two days.

She hoped each one of them would find peace.

-/-/-/-

Charlie turned the key slowly, listening as the lock popped and the knob twisted.  
>She didn't see anything else in the room except Dana as she pushed the door open. There was no bookshelf and there was no four-poster bed. There were no hideous drapes that hung over the windows and there wasn't a vanity against the wall.<p>

All she saw was Dana, sitting on the floor against the side of bed, the soft light of a tall lamp in the corner illuminating one side of her face. She turned. Head lolling over and eyes flickering until they met Charlie's. They met hers and for the first time it hit Charlie that Dana actually was there. She wasn't miles away and she wasn't separated from her by inches of wood. She was right there, touchable and warm and home.

Charlie closed the door behind her and stood at the center of the room. She didn't know what to do. She had waited for this moment for so long and came up with ways it would happen but it didn't happen at all how she envisioned and it threw her off.

Dana blinked, her eyes never dropping away from her. They were warm and they were steady as Charlie always remembered them. But unlike she remembered, there was a red rim around those wondrous eyes and a dullness that compressed into her.

"Dana," she said, her voice shaky and breathy. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't find the right words but she knew how she felt and she knew how to express that, to show that, but wouldn't that be wrong?

They were still in deep. Their Aunt was coming the next day and could ruin everything. Or before she'd come and do that, Charlie would take it while she could.

"Dana," she said again, tongue darting out to lick her lips. Her breathing came shaky as she tried to steady herself and will herself to say it. "Kiss me," she muttered, eyes closed, and lump forming in her throat. "Please, kiss me,"

She kept them shut, listening to Dana's movement. Listening to her push off the floor and pad across the carpet. She listened to her quick breathing and the sound of her swallow before hands cupped Charlie's face and lips pressed against hers.

It was a kiss unlike Charlie had ever experienced. It was new and fresh like morning's firsts light. It wasn't like those desperate kisses taken at school or the urgent ones in library study cubicles. It was pure heat and passion. It screamed care and it screamed love. It told all things they wanted to say but wouldn't have to because their lips were.

"I love you," Charlie wasn't sure who had said it. "I love you," it was her that time. She felt it press out of her. "I love you," she repeated between kisses.

"I have always loved you," Dana whispered back, stressing it in the way she let their lips mold together and take Charlie's breath and heart and everything along with it.

Arms pulled around her torso and Charlie fell against Dana, stringing her own arms around her neck. Hands stayed in place and moths never left mouths. It wasn't about that tonight. It wasn't about climaxes or exploring each other's skin. They had already been there and done that. They already knew each other inside and out.

For now it was just about reconnecting. About mending the brokenness that each of them felt. It was about creating and gaining back years apart from one another. Years stolen and could never completely get back. But the way they kissed, tongues fighting and breathing ragged, would do enough. It would calm nightmares and it could shine life back into Charlie. It would do all that and it would do much more.

"We shouldn't do this," Charlie choked.

"I don't care,"

She hissed at the pair of teeth that bit down on her lower lip, drawing her back in. "We shouldn't be doing this,"

"I don't care,"

"We-" fingers locked in her hair, crushing their mouths back together.

What did it matter? Either Dana would be gone tomorrow or she wouldn't. And Charlie's gut told her the former was the outcome so what did she care? She had been given the key, she had been given an opportunity to reclaim all that was lost when Dana left. So she would.

"Don't leave me again," she found herself saying. Her arms tightened around Dana's neck, bringing her in so close. Charlie wished she could absorb her in.

"I never wanted to,"

"Just-" her voice hitched as that first year came back to her.

It had been nearly unbearable. And Charlie tried. She tried everyday to get out of bed and go to school without Dana by her side walking through the doors of a new school with her. McKinley hadn't been like their private schools. McKinley was ruthless and twisted and overbearing. She couldn't take it and it tore her up.

She remembered days of running out of the cafeteria, hand clutching her chest as she tried to get control of her breathing. She'd never forget the panic attack in class when someone made an off-handed comment about sisters or something and Quinn had to come find her in the nurse to make sure she was okay.

Charlie had let Quinn hug her, but she wanted Dana's arms so badly. Quinn was nice. Quinn was strong. Quinn tried for her and for the both of them, but it was never the same. It was never what Charlie craved and what that was was no longer in her reach and it crushed her.

"Just-" Charlie felt her breathing quicken, getting more and more erratic.

"Charlotte, Charlotte, look at me," Dana's sweat damp hands shaped to her face. "Charlotte, look at me," Thumbs brushed over her cheeks and Charlie looked up into her eyes. "I'm right here,"

Dana was right there. She was holding her. She was in front of her and they were in their house. She was there. "Dana,"

"I won't leave you," she assured, leaning their foreheads together. "I'm staying right here. I'm here,"

Charlie nodded, eyes closed as she enveloped her in a hug once again. "You're here,"

"And you did that. You got me here,"

Charlie nodded, squeezing her in hug because that was all she could do. She had gotten Dana back and she had the painful bruises on her shoulders and back from being slammed down onto the hardwood to prove it and she didn't care. She didn't care that they ached because they ached for a reason and that reason was sill there, in her arms.

"Quinn," said Dana suddenly. Charlie pulled away from her to see Quinn standing at the closed door. She hadn't even heard the door open and close.

"Hey," Quinn said, dropping eyes away from them.

Charlie went to move away but Dana held her in place. "What do you want?"

Quinn's eyes closed at the harsh tone in Dana's voice. Charlie wished she wouldn't. She wished Dana saw what she did on those steps. Because it was what made Charlie see what Rachel had been trying to explain to her the day she practically forced her to tell her what happened between Quinn and Dana.

It still made her angry. It still made Charlie the tad bit of disappointed that Quinn thought she had do go to such an extreme to fix everything, but she had meant well. She had tried and she had sought out to make it right by revealing the things of their father. For it, Charlie was thankful. Quinn honestly had been her savior from the beginning and never stopped being that.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," Quinn said into the silence. "For hurting both of you but…"

"But what?"

Quinn's eyes found Dana where the locked on for a moment before shifting to Charlie. "I was scared. I'm still scared."

Dana snorted. "And now you just want us to forgive you?"

"You don't have to," Quinn admitted in a way that was so selfless it surprised her. "I just don't want you to hate me,"

Charlie tugged away from Dana to stand on her own. She saw the way Quinn had been taking the two of them in. Like she was an outsider looking in. It was the same way Charlie remembered Quinn walking into the basement the first time. At that time it had been mixed with fear and apprehension, but a disconnect had been present. She wouldn't keep rubbing it in.

"We don't hate you," Charlie offered, sinking down to sit on the edge of the bed.

Dana snatched her hand out of Charlie's, severing their connecting. She bit back a wince. "You might not,"

"D," Charlie whined, but Dana ignored her.

"How can I trust you?" the burn of the venom in her tone registered as a grimace on Quinn's face.

"Have I not proved myself to you? I lied to dad for you, I took care of Charlie for you, I stood up for you."

"You did it for yourself,"

"Oh really?" Quinn gaped, pained frustration contorting her face. "Because I loved hurting both of you and I love the fact you were taken away. Yes, Dana, I did all of it for myself.

"You said it, not me,"

"You're impossible!" She hissed, voice knocked up another register but not loud enough to alert their parents of heir argument.

"You tore me down, Q," Dana took a step towards her, shoulders rigid and fist clenched. "You tore me down. I had to come back on my own and you did nothing to help me. You left me there alone. Charlie came for me. But you didn't!"

"I'm here now, aren't I?"

"I'm still trying to figure that one out,"

"God, Dana," Quinn laughed through the hurt Charlie read off her. She moved across the room, leaning her hands against the top of the vanity to remain standing. "You don't know half the stuff I've done for you,"

So tell us, was what Charlie wanted to say, because she didn't know either. Quinn had promised to explain it all to her but the conversation was yet to happen. Even so, Charlie believed Quinn had done something. She believed Quinn had cared about them. It was all so confusing and twisted and done in such a wrong way but Charlie didn't doubt for a second Quinn was doing something behind the scenes that she had no knowledge of.

"You keep saying that, but all I've seen is you ripping me apart and forcing Charlie to forget about me."

Quinn's jaw flexed. "Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean I didn't care. It doesn't mean I don't care,"

"Don't even-"

"When will you stop blaming me for what happened!"

"So what are you saying? That the only reason you stood up for us is to clear your conscience?"

"What? No!" Quinn snarled and Charlie dropped her face into her hands.

"Please," Charlie tried, but Quinn over powered her.

"I did it because I loved you!" Quinn all but screamed. "I love both of you. I don't agree with what you do, I think it's sick, but I can't make it go away and I'd rather have my sister's then have this family split apart. You were right, D. We're not complete and it has hurt everyday that you were gone and it killed me to watch Charlie struggle. We hurt too. I hurt, why can't you see that? Why can't you believe me?"

"I don't know who to believe anymore," said Dana and Charlie drew her head up to look at sister who was trying to hold herself together with arms crossed tightly around her chest.

She had been present for a lot of their arguments. Arguments that came up over the silliest things while they were growing up. Arguments that would go back and forth forever because Dana was too proud to back down and Quinn's dominate nature always made it so she had to be right and have the last word. But those arguments weren't arguments that would divide them.

Those arguments had been when they all had a place beneath one roof and the decision whether Dana would stay or leave was never in the back of their minds. Those arguments hadn't opened wounds and allowed them to bleed out and run over.

Charlie could see it on both of them. She could feel it in herself. She could hear all their pain screaming around them and she could feel how it connected the three of them. And it was that connection they needed for all of it to work. For them to keep Dana there.

"So believe me," said Charlie. She stood, taking Dana's shoulders, turning her around to face her. "What Quinn's saying is right and I want you to stay, but that won't happen if we're arguing." Dana rolled her eye away from her. "Dana, let it go,"

She looked everywhere but into the hazel eyes in front of her. "I'm not holding onto anything,"

"I know you, D," she said, softly, cupping her face, forcing her to meet her eyes. "I know you think Quinn doesn't care and that she hates us, but she doesn't. It's because of her I'm still here."

"But I wasn't," Dana spat, but the brokenness of it didn't hold the power she had wanted it to.

"We couldn't do it back then, but now," she glanced back to look at Quinn. "Maybe we can win this time. Now that everything is out. No more secrets,"

Dana's eyebrow cocked as she finally met her gaze. "No more secrets?"

Charlie sighed. "I love you more than anything and I know it's wrong. You know it too, but I don't want to lose you again and I need you. So, please, let it go."

"I don't know,"

"For me, Dana. For me, let it go," She smoothed a hand up her face, moving locks of pink hair from her eyes and leaned in to just barely let their lips brush.

"I got you home and Quinn's not going to let you be taken again, right?" She faced Quinn standing in the middle of the room watching them like it seemed she always had been. Always on the outside but she nodded slowly.

"I promise," Quinn muttered, clearing her face. "I promise you, Dana. Trust me, this once. Just trust me?"

Dana swallowed, allowing Charlie to take her hand. "This once,"

Charlie could hear the relief in Quinn's voice as she said, "That's all I ask,"

-/-/-/-

Aunt Kris was Russell's sister, though the resemblance they held to each other was only in the crystal blue of their eyes. From Quinn's memories, their aunt's hair hardly ever stayed blonde. It was always dyed a different shade of brown and even to black once and Dana made a comment that it made her look like the Wicked With of the West.

When Quinn looked her over when she had opened the front door for her, her red hair falling over her shoulders in wonderful layers, Quinn almost let herself remember the hip aunt that always bought them the best birthday gifts. Because unlike everyone else, she got something for each of the triplets instead of a collective present that could never be divided up. She was the aunt who bought them all their own favorite tub of ice cream and told Russell he needed to,

"Lighten up. They're only eleven," the time he was scolding them about school and how Quinn needed to make sure her grades didn't drop, Dana needed to get her stuff in order and Charlie needed to stand up to those girls who whispered mean things behind her.

But Quinn wouldn't let herself remember those things. Not when she still had Aunt Kirs' and her father's conversation going on in her head. She had never heard their aunt's voice sound so full of malice towards them. She had loved them, she had poked fun at how their boyfriends would have their hands full because they were three and three was a crowd of confusion.

And yet, there she was downstairs, sitting in the sitting area with their parents, an annoyed expression and shoulders rigid. Like if she pressed her too far back against the couch she'd catch the disease that her bother allowed his daughters to catch. The disease that only got worse because now it had been known that Quinn had caught it too and it was only spreading. Spreading because of,

"Rachel Berry," she had heard Russell snip in mortification. Quinn could hear the way the disgust slid down his spine and came right back up in his throat like bile the way he spoke her name. "I knew we should have put them in Carmel. "

To which Judy combated with, "This has nothing to do with the school they attended, Russell, this has to do with you and what you've done to our daughters." Quinn tuned them out after that. It pained her too much to hear the brokenness in Judy's voice when she finally learned what was going on.

That Russell had lied to her for years saying that Aunt Kris would've been a great mentor for Dana and was more than happy to have her around. That the institute was more like a boarding school and Dana just needed some time away to get her head on straight. That the large amounts of money that would go missing out of accounts was because tuition went up and Dana didn't want to come home yet.

It made Quinn sick to her stomach. That this man – that their father – had been such a conniving snake and fooled them all. Maybe Judy had agreed with him that Dana needed to go away for a while and she was just as disgusted with her daughters, but Quinn knew her mother had a heart.

That heart may have been in the control of Russell's hands, but it wasn't anymore. Not when she had seen Charlie crumbled on those stairs or the way Quinn had cracked and had to clutch onto the hand of someone else instead of her mother because their mother wasn't coming to their aid. But Rachel had.

Rachel.

Quinn felt her stomach go through an array of emotion before it settled to sway between guilt and appreciation. Guilt because she had used her. But what else could she have done? Her dad had yelled at her and she snapped. She just down right snapped and let all the pent up rage she had been feeling for years just explode. And Quinn had been trembling.

She had been trembling in the face of their father and without Rachel's hand grasped in hers she never would've been able to hold her ground. Quinn hadn't even seen Charlie on the stairs until Judy came up and started demanding her husband explain what was going on and he had no where to run. He had no where to run and Quinn saw the livid glint in his eye when he looked back at Quinn. So she ran.

She had run up the stairs, with Rachel in tow, picked up a shell shocked Charlie off the steps and took them to her room. It wasn't until late, late that night when Judy came into Quinn's room where the three of them still sat on her bed.

"Thank you Rachel, but it's time for you to leave," she had said.

Rachel had nodded, keeping her eyes on the floor as Quinn led her to the front door, hugged her for what felt like eons and Rachel kissed her cheek in goodbye. When Quinn returned to her room to find her mother gone and Charlie sobbing, she was just about ready to snap on their mother but then she saw the reason for her sister's tears. She held the key to Dana's room in her fingers.

The open and close of her door drew Quinn out of her thoughts. She brushed the tears off her face, watching Dana pad through her room and fall into her desk chair. It was like watching a distant memory seeing her in the house again. But now, Dana was there. She was there and it felt so good.

Quinn watched as she sat sideways in the chair, folding her hands against the back and laid her chin on her arms. Just like old times when Dana would come into her room and tell Quinn about the awful things that the kids had said about Charlie. Or when she'd show up and coax Quinn into handing over her homework to copy. Or when she showed up the night after Quinn found out what her and Charlie were doing and Dana begged her, pleaded almost on the brink of tears, not to say anything.

Quinn didn't. Quinn didn't and it killed her. It killed her even more because it was no longer going on and Charlie was unresponsive in her bed for months upon months.

"They're still talking," said Dana after a while. Quinn drew her attention off her phone to look at her. "It's like we have no say in what's going on."

"Not under the dictatorship of Russell Fabray,"

"They killed Hitler, didn't they?"

Quinn couldn't help the kink of her lips. "Mom will take care of that,"

Dana snorted in distaste. "Still leaning on mommy dearest to solve your problems?"

"I'm not going to do this with you anymore. I don't want to argue." She sighed, turning on her bed to face Dana. "I didn't know," Quinn started. "I didn't know about Aunt Kris or how bad it was. I didn't know how much dad had lied to us or mom."

Dana blinked away from her gaze. "It wasn't all bad," she shrugged. "They fed us well,"

"Stop joking around," Quinn rolled her eyes. "I can't even imagine,"

"Don't,"

"God," Quinn allowed the ball of guilt and frustration to rise up in her again. "If only I knew about Aunt Kris and dad before I-"

"Quinn, leave it alone. No one knew."

"I guess you're right,"

"Sometimes I am,"

Quinn nodded, leaning back on her hands and sighed. "Those things I said to you at school-"

"You don't know how much it hurt me and then you just left me there and I needed you."

"I thought I was doing the right thing,"

"Stop thinking like dad and maybe you would've done what was right," Quinn sucked in a breath at the way those words slammed into her.

It felt like a knife had just been run through her stomach and twisted. It hurt and it hurt so badly because it was true. Her dad had done things, thinking it would was going to help. Thinking that getting rid of the problem would fix everything. And Quinn had done just the same. Trying to push Dana away, trying to deaden Charlie to Dana. It made her want to retch the fact she had just been compared to him in that regard but-

"Okay," Quinn let out a long breath of air. "That's fair. I'll accept that."

"Sorry," Dana said under her breath and Quinn waved it away.

Dana didn't need to say sorry for anything. She had done nothing but try, and Quinn had sabotaged every attempt. Not anymore. She was making things right. She owed it to Dana and she owed it to Charlie. She'd never feel like she'd stop owing them.

"Where have you been living all this time?"

Quinn watched Dana's eyes widen then narrow as she tried to reason if she wanted to reveal it or not. "You know the Vocal Adrenaline instructor?"

She felt her eyebrow lift. "Shelby Corcoran?"

"She's Rachel's mom," she nodded as Quinn's mouth slowly started to close. "Don't tell her because I promised Shelby I wouldn't tell Rachel anything. And if you go and screw that up-"

"I'm not going to tell." Dana eyed her unconvinced. "I'm not,"

The door creaked open.

They both turned to see Judy's head leaned in through the crack. She eyed them both, eyes lingering on Dana a bit longer. Quinn saw Dana's jaw flex and look away.

"Please come downstairs," was all she said before leaving them again.

Quinn threw her phone onto the mattress, knowing her fingers would be moving frantic in a text to Rachel about what was happening. But what she wished for more was to have Rachel there with her, clutching her hand and letting Quinn milk strength out of her.

"I guess this is it," Quinn sighed, pushing off the bed. She moved to the door, turning the knob when she noticed Dana wasn't following. "D?" Hazel eyes met conflicted green hazel ones.

"I don't hate you," Dana muttered. "I don't hate you, Quinn. It wasn't your fault. Charlotte and I are both to blame."

"Dana," Quinn turned her body towards her, body screaming to run over to her and hug her. But Quinn knew it wasn't time for that. There was still a barrier between them that Quinn wasn't sure how long it would take to crack down. "I can't tell you enough how sorry I am for-"

"Then stop trying," she cut her off.

Quinn snapped her mouth shut, watching Dana rise off the chair and walk towards her. Quinn just looked at her. She looked up at the sister who had grown up far away. She hardly knew her, but then she did. She knew the fighter that was Dana. Something that Quinn had envied in her when they were younger and that she wished she had now. She wished she had it because maybe it would've turned things around earlier.

It broke her in half, peering up into Dana's eyes. They had never had a connection as strong as Charlie and Dana did, but Quinn had always cared. Quinn had always looked out for her and she always ached for her and it never ceased. And now was her chance to prove that to her.

"I love you," It fell out of Quinn's mouth before she knew it had.

Dana's head jerked up, eyes narrowing as they tried to find a double meaning, a hidden agenda, or a hint of falseness in her voice but she found none. She would never find those things because they never existed. Quinn felt her chest swell and the knife in her stomach twist a quarter more at the fact Dana had to pause and search for things like that.

"Yeah,"

"I want you to know that," Quinn urged.

Dana dropped her head the same way she would when they were smaller and affection in words between them was something unknown. "I know,"

She would make it right. "I'll prove it to you again,"

"Keep me here and the deal is done,"

Quinn allowed herself to smile as she opened the door. "I promise,"

-/-/-/-

Dana hated the fact that her hands still shook.

They had shaken like leaves the day their dad roughly dragged her, picked her up and threw her three years ago. They had shaken nights in bed at the institute when she'd wake up with a scream on her tongue for a man to stop and to let he go who was miles away and couldn't touch her.

They had shaken that night when she sat, locked up in her room after Charlie got her home, and they had the entire time she listened to the muffled voices of Quinn and her father from downstairs the morning after.

She had never been afraid of Russell. At least not in the way he had instilled it in her when she was fourteen. It always stuck with her from then on though she'd put up a good face when she was presented to him. It was a part of the reason she hadn't just marched up to the house to begin with. She couldn't face him alone. She had needed Charlie and Quinn and a lot of mental prep to do it.

The broken wreck was after she ran away from Shelby's, she was hardly prepared but she had done it and it still buzzed in Dana so many things she couldn't pick which one she wanted to feel. Except for maybe relief.

Relief that was only when she had clutched onto Charlie those few minutes on the floor and when their fingers touched from under the door. Dana felt like she was finally letting out a breath she had been holding for years. Though it still choked her up, and she'd be gasping every once in a while. Charlie was like a shot in the arm, opening everything back up long enough for Dana to get through a few more hours.

And she needed that shot. She needed to have Charlie sitting next to her. But Dana had been made to sit in one of wooden dining chairs away from her two sisters that shared the loveseat. Dana figured they made it that way because combining her and Charlie in a loveseat would've been way too much to handle. Just having her in the house was pain enough.

Her eyes flickered to Aunt Kris sitting in the recliner. She brought down a glass from her lips, leaving the stain of red lipstick along the rim. Her blue eyes caught Dana and they stared at each other for a moment. Dana searched them for maybe a little pity, but they were void of that. Just like they had been void of care when Dana would visit her on off days at the institute and they could visit family.

She should've gathered that Aunt Kris wanted nothing to do with her. Dinners were near silent and days were long and painful. It almost made Dana want to skip out on the free day and stick around the institute. At least the counselors would talk to her and smile at her. Even if it was just to be friendly.

Dana dropped her eyes from the side of her aunt's head who had already looked away. She wouldn't deny that it hurt a little bit. Because, really? Not even the aunt she had loved when she was younger had wanted her.

"Girls," Judy began. She shifted uncomfortably on the cushion beside a stern faced Russell. "Your father, Kristen, and I have been talking-"

"We know," said Quinn and Dana snapped to look at her.

She knew how Quinn had stood up for all of them. Charlie had raved all about it to her and it did warm Dana's heart a bit but it didn't take the pain away. Dulled it, made it a little more bearable, but it still pricked. But she was grateful. For all Dana knew, if Quinn hadn't, none of this would've happened.

Judy frowned. "Kristen?" she said and Dana turned her attention to her.

Aunt Kris sat up straighter in her chair. Her ruby red hair might have been cool if it weren't attached to someone who hated her and had swindled her father out of money to keep her. Everything else had been easy for Dana to take in, but that. That had hurt the most. It took money. It only showed how much her father really wanted nothing to do with her.

"We've decided that, "Aunt Kris began, her lips tight and head tilted up though her eyes were looking down. "Dana, you're coming home with me."

"What?" Dana gaped, Charlie gasped, and Quinn snarled.

"What?" Quinn repeated, scooting up on the loveseat. "You can't be serious. You cannot be serious." Dana watched the anger build up in her as her teeth grinded together and she wheeled on Aunt Kris. "You don't even want her!"

Russell's finger pointed at Quinn from across the room. "Watch your tone,"

Quinn ignored him, turning to the silent woman who sat beside him. "Mom!"

"Sweetheart," Judy kept her eyes in her lap, hand dusting at a nonexistent piece of fuzz on her skirt. "This is for the best," she finished and Dana wanted to vomit.

She slapped a hand over her mouth afraid it actually would happen. They had been disgusted by her? By Dana? She was literally sick to her stomach by them.

"The best for who? What about us?" Quinn stressed. "Taking Dana away almost killed Charlie,"

"Hardly," Judy came back.

"Then why'd you hide all of the medicine?"

Dana's jaw dropped. She looked over at Charlie who had instantly turned to her. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide and glossy with unshed tears. She knew that Charlie had been bad when she left. Quinn told her – yelled at her – enough times for Dana to get the picture. And Dana knew that it was because of Quinn that Charlie was still functioning, but she never thought it was been that bad.

Her stomach plummeted. "Charlotte?" her voice barely made past her lips, as the thought of Charlie cold and stiff and dead became too much for her to grasp.

"I-" Charlie shook her head, her angelic blonde hair swooping around her face as she did so. "I didn't- I never-"

"You knew she was hurting," Quinn continued on. "Mom, you knew. And you did nothing."

"Enough," Russell roared, pulling them all back to focus.

Dana's hands balled up where they hung at her sides. She bit down hard, forcing herself to stay in the chair. Forcing herself not to lash out and claw up his face. It was his fault. It was his fault she had been taken away and it was his fault for causing Charlie such devastation. Had it happened, had Charlie attempted to take her life, Dana never would've forgiven him.

His frigid blue eyes found hers, glittering as if he was temping her to do something. Dana felt everything inside of her flame up at the audacity of him. She turned away, pushing it all away. Pushing the image of Charlie's coffin being lowered into a grave out of her mind. Charlie was fine, her Charlotte was alive and she was sitting just a few feet away from her.

"Dana is going back with Aunt Kris and she is going back to the institute." He spoke with a sense of finality. "That is what we discussed and that is our final decision."

"I-" Dana choked out. Every pair of eyes looked at her. She willed herself to keep looking at their dad. "I never got a chance to talk."

"You have no say in the matter," Russell scoffed, waving a hand through the air completely dismissing her.

In the recliner Aunt Kris was nodding her head in agreement. She picked up the glass she had been drinking out of and brought it back to her lips to take a drink. On the couch, Dana saw Judy shift uncomfortably, her eyes becoming more and more trained on the spot on her skirt. She glanced over to Charlie seeing her pull her legs up and wrapped her arms around herself. Dana knew she was wishing the couch could swallow her up and keep her there.

Quinn teetered on the edge of the loveseat, her eyes flickering from one face to another. Dana watched her. She watched as she took in their father and then went to Judy taking it all in. The decision hadn't been left to their mother. She probably had not a single say in the matter and it was apparent in the way she kept her mouth shut and wouldn't look at any of them.

The movement of Quinn's eyes settled on their aunt who finished the last of her drink. She tilted her head. "How much money is he giving you?"

"No money," said Aunt Kris as the glass clinked against a porcelain cup coaster. "I'm doing this as a favor to your father,"

Quinn stood her ground. "How much money did he promise you?"

"Your aunt is taking no money. We're not lying to you."

"You have before," Charlie chimed in. Dana bit back a smirk at the lack of response. He couldn't be trusted and they all knew it and their silence only told that he was probably lying again.

"Mom?" Charlie turned to her. "Mom, if you love us, please? Please, mom. You can't let him do this to us again. We-" her voice hitched and Dana ached to go and take her in her arms to help her along. "We can't lose Dana again,"

Stiff shoulder rose and fell with a heave. "Charlotte, hunny,"

Her tears flowed freely then. Judy took one glance at their most precious daughter and had to look away. "Do you not love us anymore?"

"I do," she sniffed. "I'm doing this because I love you. All of you."

Dana grabbed hold of the side of her chair. She tightened every muscle in her body to not cry. To not jump up and start screaming. To not rise, pick up the chair and throw it at Judy then use the broken pieces to stab into her dad and their aunt. She grabbed on tight, feeling the circulation slowing and her heart race, but the beat of it in her ears was far away.

Far away and distant the same way she felt locking onto Charlie's eyes again. All she saw in them was her fading away, getting smaller and smaller as the car drove down their street four years ago. It crumbled everything inside of Dana and she watched the same thing happen to the sister she loved more than she was supposed to.

"Then we're all going," Quinn's voice cut through the void and hit Dana's ears slowly.

She watched as Quinn got up from her seat. Her hazel eyes that were the tiniest bit darker than Charlie's found her and Dana's eyes narrowed at the glint in her eye. It was a glint of the start of a plan that was unfolding in her head. She was figuring out something and she was making sure that Dana knew about it.

No secrets. She remembered.

Quinn stood up. "Dana, Charlie, we're leaving,"

Aunt Kris' silvery laugh that Dana use to enjoy hearing during the joyful time of holidays past was like nails scraping across a chalkboard. "You're minors. Where are you going to go?"

"The police," Quinn sounded off, voice controlled and bold. "They'll help us find somewhere to live when they see what he's done to them."

"Quinn, what…" Dana started and trailed off when she saw Quinn wring her wrist with a hand. Those same wrists that had been wrung by Russell when she had been trying to stop him from taking Dana four years ago.

And then it clicked and no one said a thing because they knew Quinn was right and what he had done only pointed to one person. Him. With all three of their words, he wouldn't be able to get away.

Dana felt herself want to slap Quinn on the back for even thinking of it.

"Sit down," said Russell, his red face slowly loosing color.

"Let's go, Dana," said Quinn and Dana didn't take a moment of hesitation. She pushed out of her chair, walking on wobbly legs to Quinn. She stretched a hand out. "Come on, Charlie,"

"Sit down all of you," Russell snarled, rising to his feet and Charlie drew her arm back.

"Charlotte," Dana whispered, urging her to take it. "Charlotte, look at me." Terrified, watery eyes slowly found hers and Dana felt her own begin to dampen.

Because this was not how it was supposed to be. They should never have to be afraid of someone like their dad. They should never have to threaten him to get away, to able to stick together. But that's how it was and they were so close to getting an out. Dana could already feel the pavement under her feet as they ran away. She could feel Charlie's arms around her neck, finally able to just be and love each out from under the condemning eye of parents who rejected her. They were so close.

"Come on," she pressed, watching a shuddering hand rise up to meet Quinn's. Charlie lifted off the sofa, fumbling around it and fell into Dana's chest.

"Sit down, or so help me!" He took a step forward when Judy shot up, grabbing hold of his shoulder. He smacked her hand away and Dana saw red.

"Russell!" Judy's shrill voice rang through the house, sending a shiver down Dana's spine and stopping her from striding across the living room to strangle him. "Enough!" she moved quickly, padding around the coffee table to stand between her husband and the three girls. "I can't do this. I can't watch my girls leave again."

"Judy-"

"No!" Her foot banged down into the carpet hard. "I won't let you hurt them anymore."

His teeth bared from behind thin lips. Dana saw the vein on the side of his neck make show again. "They brought it on themselves!"

"They are still our children, Russell! And as far as I know, I am still your wife and their mother, and I have a say in this."

"You go against me and you are just as dead to me as that disgrace you still call daughter!"

All went silent.

It went silent like the moment before the scene Russell had happened upon that night in the basement calculated in his skull. It was an uncomfortable silence that suspended them in agonizing seconds of twisting nerves and over powering shock. It trapped the breath in Dana's lungs and froze her body completely as she waited for the last second to tick by and release the horror that awaited them.

"Leave," said Judy. She took in a long breath to steady herself. "Russell, Kristen, you need to go. You need to leave,"

"You cannot be serious, Judy," His voice came back down, scraping on the edge of pleading. "We talked about this,"

"You need to leave." She pulled back as he tried to reach out to her with a hand. "Leave or I'll call the police and have you thrown out."

"And tell them what?" He challenged. Dana saw her mother's throat move in a thick swallow.

"Dana?" Judy turned to look at the trio of girls huddled behind the loveseat.

Dana looked into blue eyes that hadn't even met hers once when Russell was taking her away. They were eyes that had looked completely over her and Charlie as they were spayed on the floor just two days before. And now they were looking at her, unsure and still drawn, but they were looking at her and they were hurt.

"Dana, show me how bad it is."

Mechanically, she stepped away from Quinn and Charlie to stand where all could see her. She took a breath, tugging up the base of her shirt just enough to show the bruised flesh on either side of her hips. Bruises that were a distinct print of Russell's fingers that had gripped her, pulling violently trying to rip her away.

For a second Dana saw the ones he had given her before. The ones that had decorated her forearm from being dragged and the ones along her hip because he had yanked her off the couch where she crashed to the concrete floor painfully.

"God. Dana," Quinn breathed. A hand reached out, pulling her back and Dana found herself drawn into Quinn's arms. "I'm so sorry," Quinn whispered in her ear as she hugged her.

"Charlie?" Judy called out, but she didn't move. "Charlotte, please show me what he did to you."

"But he-"

"You don't have to hide anymore," Judy spoke in the gentle way she used to talk to all of them were they ever come up with a scrap on the knee or a knot on the head. "Go on,"

Charlie shook her head, lip trembling. "I can't,"

"Charlotte," Dana called out to her. "It's okay. You can." Charlie nodded. "For me."

Charlie moved slowly, eyes pinched shut as she tugged up her shirt and turned around. Dana cringed at seeing the bruise that stretched across her shoulders and in places of her back where she had hit the hardwood so brutally that it had knocked the wind out of her. Beside her, Dana felt Quinn reach out and grip onto her arm to keep her in place. Dana shrugged her arm out of her hold. She wasn't going to do anything.

"That's enough," Dana murmured, pulling a silently crying Charlie into her. She saw the way Russell's face twisted and Judy looked away but Dana didn't care. They had done it and all she wanted to do was hold her and hold her forever.

"That's all they need to know," said Judy, turning back to her husband.

His eyebrow cocked. "You're threatening me?"

"You have had no problem doing it to them,"

"Judy, we agreed-"

"These are our daughters," she cut him off. "And however much I hate what they have done and it makes me sick to know it may still continue, to go the lengths you have – it's too much. We never wanted to hurt them and look what you've done."

"You let it happen,"

"Now I'm stopping it," Judy turned her back on him, walking to stand with Charlie, Dana, Quinn. "And now I'm asking you to leave. Kristen, you as well."

He looked at all of them then. He looked at his wife, taken aback by her betrayal and he looked at his sister for not speaking up for him. He found Quinn, the one who had been under his control the most and found not a single rope to hold on her anymore. He searched out Charlie who had been so easy to press under his thumb but had finally pushed back against the weight. Then he found Dana.

He found Dana the one who he had tried to get rid of. The one that Dana knew brought bile up his throat and made his blood boil. She saw it in the way his cheek twitched and his lips pressed thin. She was the one he could never grab a hold of and she was the one he still couldn't. She was out of his power.

"It's time for us to go, Russ," Aunt Kris got up, running a hand through her hair.

Dana could see the way she walked briskly past them towards the door, shoulders free of the burden of Dana. She wasn't sure whether to feel happy their aunt was leaving without her or if she was angry at how joyful she was that she was leaving without her.

Russell took a step forward, following the path of his sister. He held eyes with Judy as he went and Dana felt Quinn's fingers slid into her hand and hold on so they were all linked together and standing strong. Standing strong the way they should have done in the beginning. But now, here they were, watching as Judy let the door slam on her husband's face and let the sound of it ring through the air.

Charlie turned her head against Dana's neck to look at their mother who stood with her back against the front door. Quinn clutched her hand tighter, standing between Judy and them like she was ready for everything to back fire and their mother to turn on them.

But that never came. All that came was the slow process that she wasn't leaving. That it was Russell who had left with Aunt Kris. That their mother had been the one to do it and that all three of them were standing there, linked and chest still heaving. But they were together. They were together and it was so slow to process.

It was just as slow as the way it seemed Judy began to sink down to the floor and the way the three of them moved collectively to fall at her side, grabbing hold of her and hugging and letting tears fall for the woman that had finally come through for them.

Forget about the pain that was lingered around them in knowing it was long over due for Judy to speak up for them. Forget about the fact that Judy had stood idly by and watched it all happen until that moment when Dana saw all hope complexly leave only to return. Forget about it all because all Dana knew was that they were okay. That she was still there.

And finally it clicked. She was still there.

She was home.

-/-/-/-

_She stays. _

Rachel had to read the text over and over again. She could hear her father's asking her what was wrong, what happened, why was she at one moment laughing with them at the movie and all of a sudden stock still and clutching her phone like it was her very last life line.

Tears dripped from her eyes onto the screen of her cell phone and she beamed.

"You did it," she muttered, eyes closed, letting those words lock in. "You did it,"


	8. Part VIII

Busy life is busy. Also, I put off writing this because I don't like writing endings. Anyhow, thank you all for reading, reviews, and favorites. Do enjoy and you might be seeing the Fabray triplets return. Thanks again.

**Part VIII**

Dana leaned against the brick of the convenient store, finger tapping impatiently on the elbow of her crossed arms as she waited. The morning was already a blaze of a coming summer heat, but Dana ignored it. She'd ignore anything if it got her out of Breakfast at home.

She was glad to be home. She was happy to be just a trip across the hall from Charlie, but she never dared cross those boundaries. Just like she didn't dare bring her eyes up to meet her mother's during late dinners, and just like she tried to leave as early as possibly after breakfast and stay out as late as she could to avoid the awkward tension.

The looks Judy gave her set Dana off. They slithered down her back and sprouted off into her stomach and into her chest with an array of feelings. She could see the pleading apology, and she could feel the overwhelming sadness. She could sense the discomfort Judy had every time she saw Dana and Charlie in the same room and she could almost hear the shocked gasp when they'd accidently brush by each other.

She could even pick all of it up when Judy tried to remain neutral when she came into Dana's room a couple nights ago asking,

"Dana, may I speak with you," Dana had no other choice but to nod and allow her mother to walk into her room. A room that Dana still felt like a guest in. "This is hard for me," she had gone on.

Dana didn't hesitate. "I'm in love with her, mom,"

Judy looked down into her lap, smoothing out her blouse as she recovered from that slap. "You know how I feel about this,"

"If you didn't want me to stay, you could've let me go."

"What kind of mother would I be?" Both pairs of eyes flickered up, meeting with the same unspoken words between them. What kind of mother was she to let her be taken away in the first place? To let Russell put his hands on them that way and bruise their skin?

It was there, the question that Dana had asked herself so many times, but then she remembered. She remembered the control Russell had on Judy and on all of them. Regardless, it still hurt Dana. It made her want to run up to the woman and scream in her face to open her eyes, and make her get over her fears and take action. But Judy had, in that the last moment, she had come through when Dana hadn't been expecting. And maybe that - that small thing - would heal the wounds her mother had left on her years ago.

"I was never aware of the things your father was doing behind my back. Had I known I-"

"Mom," Dana said, softly. "Can we- When you stood up to dad-" she gritted her teeth, frustration washing over her at her inability to speak. It had been that way when Judy asked her to tell her everything. From the night Russell found out to her return to Lima. She had tripped over her words and fumbled over everything.

Dana shifted her weight, leaning against her room door. She hadn't felt right to sit in the chair at the vanity. It was too close to Judy and she wasn't sure how close she could get yet.

"Why now?" she asked and looked away before she could see the instant drop of her mother's face that had always been done up to its optimum best with not a single flaw.

Dana had been seeing those hidden flaws in the past couple of days. She could see them just as plain as she saw them on each of their faces. The Fabray's were a broken wreck and it was almost impossible for them to keep up the façade of being together.

Judy kept her eyes away. "Even parents have huge regrets, sweetheart,"

"Does that mean you cared?"

"I have always cared about you," Big, blue eyes found Dana appalled. She almost felt sorry for even asking it. "All of you."

"But never me as much as Charlotte and Quinn,"

"Dana-"

"Mom," Dana looked up into watery eyes, feeling her own wanting to do the same. She blinked them back, tongue running along her bottom lip to distract from the unshed tears. "Can I ask you one thing?"

"Anything," there was no hesitation and because of it, Dana regretted even bringing it up.

"Do you- I see the way you look at me. I know it's wrong but," her eyes fell, staring down at the floor in distaste. They had even changed the carpet in her room. She gritted her teeth. "Do you think I'm disgusting?"

The room fell silent just as Dana expected it to. She had already accepted the silence as the answer. That, yes, Judy thought she was vial. She might've had her heartbroken over the mistreatment Dana had received, but that didn't keep the bile from lifting in her throat at the thought of her.

But then Judy broke the silence. "Do you think that you are?"

"That's not an answer,"

Judy sighed, folded hands clenching tighter in her lap. "Do you think what you and Charlie have is disgusting? I know you think it's wrong, and I won't lie and say I approve or find it okay, but do you think what you feel for Charlie is vial?"

Immediately, "No," and she believed that.

It was wrong, it was something that never should've sparked between them, but it never felt like something dirty. It felt pure, and fresh, and sweet. She had only love for Charlie that was the one thing that kept her going. People could say what they wanted and Dana could tell herself a thousand times that they shouldn't have done what they did, but none of that could keep her from feeling the way she did.

Judy's hands relaxed where they sat on her lap. Dana shifted her eyes away from them to look back at the floor. "Then I will do my best to try and see it as such."

"Don't lie to me," Dana said, quickly forcing herself to look into Judy's face. "I can't take it anymore. Not from you."

"Having my daughters back is more important to me." Judy winced, her eyes fluttering to keep tears from streaming down her face. She sniffed once, pushing off the bed and headed for the door. "Welcome home, Dana,"

Judy gave her a small smile before walking out of the room. Dana fell back into her mattress, feeling her heart give a tiny swell at the tiny welcome home. But still, she could see the torn guilt and burden Judy carried for the husband Dana knew she wished she would've acted against sooner. But she hadn't, and because of it, they were all subject to the horrible mess that was Judy.

As if Dana, Charlie, and Quinn were any better. It was in those moments where the tension was too great and the atmosphere was claustrophobic with anguish and stress that Dana needed out. She just needed out and she sometimes wished she still had Shelby's place to call a home. If only because it was close to home and it was a place she could think and not feel like she was imposing on a family that felt she was adopted into instead of a family that should've been there all along.

Dana pushed off the wall as the scraggily truck driver she had emptied her pockets to, giving all her money and a near full pack of gum, came around the corner with a plastic bag. He handed it to her, sipping out of a can of red bull.

"Thanks," she said, counting the packs of cigarettes.

"Tell Mak I said hey,"

"Uh huh," Dana waved back to him, stuffing the bag in her backpack and hurried off towards Mak's place with the collateral.

Dana knocked and was greeted with a long look down Mak's nose as she unwrapped a stick of Wrigley's and started chewing. "You must got some big cojones to come here."

Dana rolled her eyes. She had avoided the Skanks since she found her pink hair swirling in a pool of dirty, toilet water. But Mak was different. Mak left her high horse when she wasn't around Ronnie or Sheila. Mak was easy to manipulate.

"I need a ride," she said.

Mak snorted and popped her gum, leaning against the doorjamb. "And I want to win the lottery,"

"It's your lucky day," Dana slung her bag around, digging for the bag of cigarettes and tossed it into the Skank's chest. Mak dug out the four packs with a smirk of satisfaction. "Your sleazy truck driver says hey."

She nodded, rolling up the plastic bag around the precious cigarettes. "Let me get my stuff,"

"I'm not going to school," Dana informed her. Mak shrugged, disappearing inside before emerging with her bag and keys.

Dana kept her eyes out the window, her mind hardly registering the usual smacking coming from the diver's seat or the heavy cloud of smoke disrupting her vision. Her attention was drawn to the intimidating building of Carmel High

drawing closer and closer until the car was pulled to the curb on the street and she climbed out of the car without a backwards glance.

Shifting her bag on her shoulder, Dana hurried across the street, walking down the long sidewalk until she reached a side door and snuck inside. Eyes of students snapped to her instantly and Dana cursed her pink hair. Either that or her face because she was sure half the Carmel student body knew whom she belonged to with that face.

She kept on, keeping a quick pace and following the signs that led her to the auditorium. She could hear the music playing from the early morning rehearsal before she even opened the door.

Dana was presented with a vast theatre, lights dimmed except for the ones beaming onto the stage where Vocal Adrenaline rehearsed. In the house, Dana saw Shelby sitting at a table, leaned back in her chair. She called out something to the group that had each mouth yank back into smiles that glittered in the spotlights.

She walked slowly down the aisle, getting to Shelby's row and took to a chair a couple seats down from the instructor just as the number ended.

"Guys, you're slacking. We are not slackers. Are any of you slackers?" Shelby sounded bored and irritated as she spoke into the table mic. No one said a word. "I didn't think so. Do it again, and this time, don't make me have to tell you to smile. Smile people. Be the cure for cancer."

"Assertive," Dana snipped a measure into the music intro as the dancers began to move again.

Shelby did a double take before her eyes widened, taking her in. "Dana," Shelby gaped. "What're you doing here?"

She shrugged, moving from the seat she was in to take the one next to Shelby. She could feel chocolate eyes watching her every move. "I'm back home,"

"That's good?" Shelby asked, uncertain. Dana nodded. It was good, in a way. It was very good but then it wasn't. "I'm glad to hear."

They fell silent. Dana looked away from Shelby's unsure gaze, as if she was preparing herself for Dana to lash out again. She stayed quiet, watching as the performance on stage winded down to the end and Shelby peeled her eyes away from Dana to dismiss the group just in time for them to get changed and make it to first period.

With the last shuffle of feet exiting, Dana took a breath. "I came to apologize,"

Shelby paused in straightening a stack of sheet music. "You really didn't-"

"Just accept it," Dana pressed.

"Apology accepted," Shelby smiled sadly, stuffing the papers into a folder. The first bell sounded in the hall as she turned to face Dana. "How are things at home?"

Dana hesitated.

Things at home would never revert back to how they were. Too many things had changed. Too much had happened. They weren't the same triplets that they had been before. They each carried a weight that was only intensified by Russell not being there and Dana still felt the coldness to her return. Though Charlie accepted her with open arms and Quinn gave her tiny, apologetic smiles here and there, a distance still resonated in the house.

Her room wasn't really her room any more. Her seat at the dining table wasn't really her seat. Her turn in line for the shower felt out of place. Nothing seemed right.

"They're fine," Shelby pursed her lips and Dana faltered. "Things suck. Better?"

"Hardly," Shelby deadpanned. She yanked a satchel off the floor to put away various folders of sheet music. "You didn't have to leave. I shouldn't have pushed you the way I did knowing your home situation wasn't good."

Dana snorted. "If that doesn't scream pedophile,"

"Dana, please," Shelby sighed, fingers pressing against her temples. "I wasn't trying to run you out,"

"Yeah," she muttered, kicking the chair in front of her with a converse.

Dana refused to meet Shelby's eyes that looked down at her in concern. She didn't want Shelby to know how much it had hurt to be pushed out of another place. Though this time it had been productive. She had been let back inside, but Shelby's place still felt like that place of salvation to her. And Shelby was still that woman who took her in and treated her like a normal person and she missed that.

Shelby cleared her throat, getting up from the table with her things. "I have to get to my class,"

Dana pulled up her legs to let Shelby walk by. "Is it cool if I hang out here for a while?"

"As if skipping school isn't bad enough, you're not even a student here. You can get into a lot of trouble."

"I won't tell if you don't," Dana smirked.

Shaking her head, Shelby slid a key off the ring and tossed it to Dana. "There's a dressing room backstage. As long as you're out before the end of the day-"

Dana snatched the key up off the floor where it had fallen out of her hands. "No one's going to find out about us,"

"Dana!" Shelby ticked just as the late bell rang. "Just leave the key on this table when you leave."

"Right," Dana got up, slinging her own bag over her shoulder. Her eyes scanned the giant auditorium she was sure was bigger than McKinley's by far. Dana could get lost in this place. "Carmel's nice,"

Shelby's eyebrow tweaked. "It's not too far from where you live,"

"I'd need a car,"

"That's what buses are for," Shelby laughed, making her way up the aisle. "As long as you don't think you're getting as much as a try out for Vocal Adrenaline, I don't see why not."

"Please," Dana rolled her eyes, hoping onto the stage. "I'm shit at singing,"

Shelby's laugh echoed in the auditorium as she made it to the top and turned around. "If thing's get too much, you know where I keep the spare key,"

Dana stared into dark eyes from across the auditorium. Charlie was great. Charlie was the one she was in love with and Dana didn't think that would ever change, and if it did, not anytime soon. But there was a peace and escape in Shelby that Dana needed. Until the storm was over, she'd need that.

"Want Breadstix tonight?" she asked.

Shelby shrugged with a nod. "You're buying,"

-/-/-/-

Quinn found Judy in the study, phone in hand and voice low and frantic. She could catch bits of the conversation just as she had from others Judy would have with a persistent Russell who called none stop. But other conversations had made Quinn smile because her mother was still holding strong. She would cut him off and hang up. But this one was disheartening because Judy was faltering.

Quinn could hear it in the way she tried to convince her husband that they didn't need his paycheck to survive - that they would do what they could. That Judy would rather starve than let him put his hands on her girls again. But her argument wasn't convincing, and because of it, Quinn knew very well her dad would constantly punch at those very things until Judy gave in.

Quinn whipped around the corner, ignoring the shock on her mother's face as she took hold of the cord on the phone dock and yanked it out. Judy's mouth bobbed in surprise as she pulled the phone slowly away from her ear.

"We can go to the phone store tomorrow and get his number blocked on your cell if we need to."

"That won't be necessary," Judy placed the dead phone back in its place. Quinn made a mental note to unplug the one in the kitchen as well. They could use some silence.

Drawing up a chair, Quinn sat down, watching her mother. She had never taken the time to really stop and examine the stress lines that marked her face or the bags under her eyes that peeked from under a layer of make up. Quinn had always been too worried about fixing herself, keeping Charlie a float, and keeping dad pleased that Judy faded to the back burner.

Quinn didn't think much about how her mom felt about everything, because to her mom and dad were synonymous. Whatever Russell decided so did their mother. Quinn was still reeling over the night Judy kicked him out. She still could hardly wrap her mind around it.

"We can make it without him," said Quinn after a moment.

"I'm not sure,"

Judy kept her eyes fixed on the phone. The conversation must've been tough. Quinn could see the deadened look in Judy's eyes and the fine press of her lips she'd always see her mom carry after her parents had a stiff argument. Arguments that had Russell gone for hours and Judy in the kitchen, cleaning and scrubbing and polishing.

"Mom, we have to," Quinn pressed, pulling her mother's attention back to her. She hesitated in the next thing to say, because Quinn wasn't sure. "Unless you think you did the wrong thing."

She wasn't sure and the way Judy's neck snapped over to her made Quinn question even more. She knew their mother had stood up for them, had kept them home, but it wasn't until she saw the bruises. It wasn't until she had seen the extent of the hurt inflected to the point it was showing physically instead of the mental destruction they all faced. And it worried Quinn.

"You are all staying,"

"Are you sure?" Quinn's eyebrow cocked, eyes darting around Judy's face.

Quinn knew how hard it was for her knowing about what Charlie and Dana were doing. In the past, it pained her every night she heard the doors open and shut. It was a swift punch every time she saw Charlie walk out of Dana's room in the morning to get ready for school. It filled her with a mix of disgust and wonder and confusion when she had sat on the steps down to the basement and watched Dana take Charlie.

It had been so much then and it wasn't until recently that Quinn had made peace with it. Even though she didn't agree, even though she wished it never started and that she had been better and stopped it before it could, she had made peace with it. Because it meant they were all back and that's all Quinn ever wanted.

Judy blinked away from Quinn as she answered. "Yes," But that yes was laced with all the things Quinn had felt back then. She could only pray they could make it another year and a half. A year and a half and they'd be graduated. They could leave.

"We have to make it right with Dana," said Quinn, shifting gears. She couldn't simmer in that place for too long. "How I treated her when she came back, I- I didn't know what else to do."

"You were doing what you thought was right,"

Quinn felt the slap of Dana's words strike across her again. Doing what she thought was right. Just like dad. He always thought he was doing right and they always thought he was right. But he wasn't and Quinn wasn't and-

"I'm no better than dad,"

"Don't say that," Judy reached out, touching Quinn's hand that rested on her knee. "You are nothing like him."

"Yes I am," and she would've been the one sitting on that couch instead of Aunt Kris telling her parents that Dana needed to go.

She had that plan in mind the day she left Dana crying on the restroom floor. She would've made sure Dana was gone. She thought it would fix everything and it would've gone though if Rachel hadn't come up, reminding her of what was really important. It was Rachel who pushed her into saying something to Russell again and it was Rachel who had given her the confidence to do it.

"If that were true, your sister would still be living on the streets," said Judy, reassuringly. "Sweetheart, you are nothing like him."

"I guess," Quinn looked down at the hand that covered hers. It had been too long since she had felt such a comfort in her mom's hand being there. She sighed. "Mom, about Rachel-"

The hand drew back leaving Quinn's feeling cold. "Please, Quinnie, not now," Judy glanced to the dead phone again then to the picture of her and Russell sitting on the study desk. "I have too much on my mind with your sisters and your father. One battle at a time."

"Okay,"

"I'm sorry, but I know you're strong." Watery blue eyes found Quinn again. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be the mother you three needed me to be."

"This isn't your fault," Though she'd like to blame a lot of it on her mother.

She'd like to, but there was no need to throw blame around anymore. It had been all of them in some way. Blame didn't need to matter anymore because it was time to try and rebuild what had been demolished and bombed for four years too many.

"If only- oh, never mind. This isn't something I should be discussing with you." delicate fingers dabbed away the few tears that started to run down Judy's cheeks.

"Mom," Quinn hurried over, wrapping her arms around Judy's neck, holding her in a hug. She held her, waiting seconds before her mother pulled her own arms around her and pulled her in close.

They were arms Quinn had needed all this time and slowly they were coming back. Now the goal was to get them to embrace Charlie and Dana in the same way. It would take time, but Quinn knew it would happen. Just like it had the night when they crumbled all together on the floor in front of the door holding each other and crying. It was that moment that told Quinn that maybe this would work. Together, they could do it.

"Thank you," Quinn said into her shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, Quinnie," Judy croaked, rubbing circles across her back only to trigger Quinn's own tears.

"I love you," she muttered. "We can do this without him. We have to. For Dana, we have to."

-/-/-/-

The clock read well past two a.m. when Charlie heard Dana's door click open and shut. It was a sound Charlie had been accustomed to hearing various nights through age fourteen. She always knew it was Dana because Dana's door didn't creak the way Quinn's did and hinges never stuck so the shut was never harsh like her parent's.

It was the sound of that door that always had Charlie's pulse racing even before she slipped out of her own and ventured down to the basement a few minutes later. Even now, as Charlie heard Dana pat down the hall, steps fading the further she got, Charlie felt the skipping beat of her heart. So she didn't wait.

She got up, quietly closing her door and hurrying to the stairs just as she heard the back door slide shut. Skipping down the steps, Charlie crossed the living room, into the kitchen and pushed aside the curtain to see Dana walking across the backyard.

Her steps took her to the edge of the pool where she stood, staring down into the water so the light from beneath casted a soft glow onto her face. Charlie didn't like that face. It was the look Charlie wasn't supposed to see, or anyone for that matter. But Charlie had caught it during dinners and she'd see it slip on when Dana would rush out of the house before breakfast. It always left Charlie aching. It left her feeling helpless because she didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to make Dana feel like she completely belonged again.

Charlie slid open the door, squeezing her way out before closing it. Dana didn't even look up from where she stood, though her face skewed into it's normal emotionless mask. Or so it was emotionless to others. Charlie had been able to read between the lines always. She walked slowly over the cobblestone, heart in her throat and nerves tingling as she reached her. She needed no words to turn Dana around and kiss her.

They never needed words for things like that. They never had to hesitate and they never needed to ask. It always felt perfect in the wrongness and maybe it was that that kept Charlie from drifting away so easily. Because, some days in those years of Dana's absence, when she'd sit on her windowsill and stare at the street hoping to see that black car bringing her sister back, Charlie would always ask how could something so wrong feel so perfect.

But it didn't then at that moment. Charlie sensed it instantly at the timid way Dana kissed her back. Like they were back in the first days when Charlie would cry because, why? Why did it feel so right but her mind screamed wrong?

Charlie drew back just enough to see into Dana's eyes. They had hardly had a moment to just be alone together since Dana returned. The hazel dominated the green now, making her gaze darker along with the way her pupils remained large. So Dana did still feel it. She did still feel an overwhelming sense of love and desire when Charlie was near her, so why had it felt so…off?

"D?" her head tilted, hands smoothing down the back of Dana's shirt until they stopped at the small of her back.

Heavy arms rested on Charlie's shoulders, pulling her in just a bit more so their lips brushed. There was that electric feel again intense as always. "I'm okay,"

"Then why have you been running away?" Charlie whined, tightening her hands behind Dana's back so she couldn't get away and so their bodies stayed flush together. "I thought you wanted to be home."

"I do," she sighed. "It still doesn't feel right."

"I know. Give it time, it will," She assured more to convince herself than Dana. Things had been so bad for so long. Charlie didn't think they'd ever get better. Even if they did, never to how they use to be. "But you can't keep running away from mom. She's trying."

"It's painful,"

"We all hurt, D, but we all have to try," Their noses bumped together and warm breath lapped at faces. Pink lips were at her line of sight and Charlie couldn't help but kiss them again. She'd never get enough of them.

"I just need space," Charlie went to pull away when Dana pulled her back, so her head rested against Dana's chest.

"Not right now. Not from you."

"Are you sure?" Charlie closed her eyes, listening to the solid heartbeat she use to fall asleep listening to on so many nights. It was her lullaby along with the rush of air through Dana's lungs as she breathed. "Then why do I feel like you're lying?"

Releasing her, Dana walked away, rounding the edge of the pool. "It's like we're rubbing it in mom's face,"

"What are you really trying to say?" Charlie frowned.

"I don't know about…"

"About us?" Charlie swallowed around the lump in her throat. She pulled up her arms, crossing them over her chest as she watched Dana sit down on the edge so her legs dangled into the water. "We need to talk about this,"

"Why? You know where it'll end up,"

"We were never meant to-" Hazel green blinked up to her, cutting Charlie off. They had only talked about it a few times before. In the early stages, when they were so nervous and unsure what was going on between them to look at each other over cereal on some mornings.

But those talks had ended and it just became something that they knew. They knew they weren't supposed to be more than just sisters. They could be close - they were always so close – but to do the things they had done with each other…

Charlie shook her head, keeping them from muddling her already scattered thoughts. "You were always there for me and it was enough. But now I don't- I can't stop- I feel like I can't stop with you."

"I know," Dana kicked at the water, sending drops across the pool. "Don't you think I don't know?"

"I'm only saying, D," Charlie moved, coming to fall at Dana's side. She crossed her legs, poking at the water with a finger. "I need to know what we're going to do. You're back, and mom knows, and Quinn knows we're still, you know, and I don't know what that means for us."

"Nothing changes. Not yet,"

Charlie tucked in her chin, biting on her lip to keep from smiling as her heart swelled. "Even though it's wrong?"

"Yes," A hand wondered over, pulling the one Charlie had dipped in the water to link their hands together.

Charlie clung to it, watching droplets of water seep between their fingers. It had been too long since Dana was the one to reach for her. Thinking about it brought back the night Dana busted through the door. She had clung onto Charlie then in desperation. But the way she reached for her hand and held it was different. It was just simply because.

"You just admitted it, you know," said Charlie. "That you think what we're doing isn't right."

"I've always thought it," Dana's voice dropped, scooting over enough for their shoulders to touch. "Why do you think I told you no one would understand?"

"I know. Me too. But I love you,"

"I love you too, Charlotte,"

"But?" she asked because it was there. She fought to find Dana's eyes and stared up into them. They hadn't connected with hers again how they had the night before Aunt Kris had come. There had been a glimmer of doubt in them then just as there was now. "No more secrets,"

"I don't know," Dana squeezed their hands. "I don't know anything."

"Okay. I don't want to talk about to anymore," She nodded, resting her head against Dana's shoulder. She brought her other hand up to grip Dana's arm, showing that she was just as much of Dana's strength as she was for her.

"Hey," Dana shifted, pulling her legs out of the water so she sat facing Charlie. Dana took her face into a hand, turning it so their eyes met. "This doesn't change how I feel about you."

"I know," Charlie nodded, leaning into her touch. "I'm just scared,"

"I'll always love you,"

Her head tilted back just enough to tough a chaste kiss to Dana's lips. "Like this?"

Dana's eyes stayed closed as her tongue darted out, licking across her lips. "I know you want me to say yes but I can't tell you that. You said yourself we were never suppose to be more than sisters."

"What about for now?" Charlie asked, running a hand up into Dana's hair, pulling closer.

"For now, yes," Dana breathed against her lips. Charlie brought her down with her as she leaned back, resting against the cement and Dana hovering above her.

"Then don't push me away just yet," Charlie pleaded, shifting her legs so Dana could fall easily between them.

Smiling lips captured hers, and Charlie melted. She melted into the kiss and completely back into Dana. She needed to. She needed it and she needed her. However long they would keep this up, Charlie would take all of it with no hesitation and no question.

"Don't push me away," Charlie murmured, feeling the rock of Dana's hips against her.

Dana grinned, dipping her face into Charlie's neck to kiss along her throat. "Never," she promised and Charlie shut her eyes letting hips and teeth and fingers take her away again.

-/-/-/-

Rachel found place in her room. She sifted through a stack of CDs on her shelf and jammed one into the player hoping the smooth sounds of Etta James could calm her mind. Because her dads had spoken to her twenty minutes extra after she told them Quinn would be coming to keep her company while they were on an outing.

She had heard it during few dinners. They'd question her. They'd question why the Fabray's daughter was always crying when she showed up and why Rachel was so quick to jump to her every need. Though they had known of Rachel's crush since she admitted it to them through a cherry slush stained face and tears one day late freshmen year, it didn't calm their worry.

Rachel tried to. She tried to tell them that her and Quinn talked about it. That Quinn had a lot going on and that she was only thrilled the night Quinn text her about Dana and that's why she had bursted into uncontrollable tears on the couch. She told them that Quinn wasn't the same girl who had taunted her then, that she did forgive her and she wanted to be there for her and, she did love her. Well, she didn't tell her dad's that much and she might have exaggerated the amount her and Quinn talked about things like feelings. So far, it was only twice and each time it was shut down.

The ding of the alarm system indicating the front door opening sounded from the hall. Rachel's eyes snapped up to the clock on her wall, her heat beating double-time that of the ticking second hand. It took a few times before Quinn got comfortable with just walking into the house, though she'd only do it when her dad's weren't home. But every time, it made Rachel's mind drift off to future days of Quinn walking into their own place and Rachel greeting her with a kiss at the door.

Footsteps grew closer and Rachel waited for Quinn to wrap lightly on her doorframe with a knuckle before she turned to look at her. She felt the smile tug at her lips as she took her in from the dress that fanned out just above her knees to the warm smile on her lips. It had been weeks since Rachel had seen a genuine smile on Quinn's face. They had all been forced and slapped on in the last minute.

"Hey," Quinn said. Her smile slipped a notch, head tilted. "Is everything okay?"

"Are you okay?" Rachel took up the remote to her stereo to turn off the music. She rested her chin on the heel of her hand.

The reason why Quinn hadn't been smiling was because of her family. Even though Dana was home and Russell was gone, it still weighed on her. Quinn might not show up crying anymore and she might not have to clench Rachel's hand when Russell's name came up on her cell phone, but the burden could still be seen.

"Dana's adjusting," Quinn shrugged. "Slowly, but she is."

Rachel nodded. She knew that much. She had caught Dana one day during passing before lunch to ask how everything went. It was from Dana that Rachel got the full story. From her showing up at home and to walking away. From Charlie calling her back and Russell's attempt to throw her back out. From Aunt Kris' decision to take Dana back to Judy's threat that kept her there. Rachel had been speechless afterwards only able to croak out that she was going to hug her and hugged her tight.

Rachel blinked up to Quinn. "How are you?"

Quinn moved across the threshold, each step slow and cautious. "My mom finally got out of shock about what happened and she's trying with Dana and even more with Dana and Charlie since they're still...you know."

"They'll figure it out and your mom will pull through," Rachel jerked her head, inviting Quinn to join her where she lay. "She did for you."

"You're right," Quinn nodded, falling to sit on the edge of the bed stiffly.

"But how are you?" Rachel's head tilted, her eyes trying to catch Quinn's that settled on nothing. They just flickered everywhere. The floor, the laptop on the desk, the litter of pictures Rachel had tacked up on her wall…

"Dad keeps calling. Every hour he calls-"

"Quinn," Rachel pressed one last time. She had heard about everyone else. Now she wanted to know about Quinn. "How are you?"

She gave in, finally turning to look at Rachel. "Scared. I'm scared. My moms hardly holding up with dad calling constantly and the other night I saw Charlie and Dana. They were at the pool and-" Quinn stuttered, eyes pinching close for a moment. "I'm scared, Rachel, and I don't know what's going to happen to us."

"You'll get through it. The worst part is over, right? It'll just take time." Rachel assured her, touching a hand to Quinn's shoulder. She had to stretch her arm out all the way to do it. It made Rachel feel like Quinn was at arms length from her again and not flush close where they had found each other as on various nights.

"I guess you're right," Quinn took the hand away, letting their fingers thread together. Rachel felt heat shoot down it and into her chest, closing the distance that had been there when she walked in.

"It isn't like I said anything you don't already know." Rachel rolled to lie on her back, keeping hold of Quinn's hand on her stomach. "Who do you mean when you say 'us'?"

Quinn's jaw flexed, watching the thumb Rachel smoothed over her skin rather than her face. "M-my family," she answered tightly.

"And you and I?" Rachel bit her lip almost sorry for asking. But she needed to know and they needed to talk about it. If only for Rachel to know what Quinn was feeling towards her now.

Quinn's voice dropped down another decibel. "To that I'm terrified,"

"Why?" Rachel saw her swallow long and hard. She wanted badly to touch her face, smooth the curves of her cheek with a fingertip and erase those worry lines from her skin. Or to pull her down and hold onto her like she had many times.

"Because I see the way my mom looks at Dana and Charlie and even though she's trying to look past it, I know it hurts her to watch." Quinn winced and Rachel tightened her hold on her hand. "With you, Rachel, I don't know how she'll take it then again but I don't I can-" Quinn stopped, looking away.

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "You don't think you can what?"

"Ignore how I feel-" Quinn sighed, pulling her legs up onto the bed. She crossed them, turning to face Rachel. "Did it scare you? When you realized you had feelings for me, did it scare you?"

It was Rachel's turn to swallow. She felt suddenly small and intimidated by the intensity that Quinn was staring down at her with. It almost kept her tiny, "Yes," from leaving her throat.

And Quinn asking her, "What did it feel like?" kept took away her ability to speak in that moment.

What did it feel like? It felt like a lot of things. It felt terrifying because Rachel had never found herself drawn to one person before the way she was to Quinn. It felt hopeless because Quinn was on a level that Rachel had never even scratched at and she was constantly pummeled with slushies just to remind her of that. It felt depressing because Rachel couldn't veer her feelings off Quinn to someone else or take the time to consider someone else. All in all it felt,

"Like I had been handed a book that would tell me everything about my life. Past, present, and future but when I opened it, all the pages were blank." Because without the other person, it felt like there was no reason to have endured everything from before and keep walking on into what was to come.

Quinn held her eyes for a second after that and looked away but didn't speak. She just sat there, eyes shifted down to the floor and once again Rachel felt like she was arms length away. She felt that fear of Quinn's rejection press back into her like it had that time Rachel found her in the locker room and she was sure Quinn would run her out.

It brought back the conversation with her dads. Of them telling her that she was wasting her time on Quinn. That Rachel was a thing of convenience to Quinn because of everything that was going on in her life and she was desperate for someone – anyone – to cling onto. They told her that there would be others that would come along and they didn't want to see their little girl get hurt by this same girl again. But everything that they told her didn't prepare Rachel for what Quinn said.

"Does that mean I love you if that's how I feel every time I picture us together?"

Rachel felt her jaw drop open and quickly brought it back up shut. "I- I don't- I'm not sure,"

Quinn's gaze flickered to their linked hands then slowly brought them back up to Rachel's face to peer at her through thick lashes. "I think you are,"

"In regards to you, Quinn," Rachel swallowed to wet her drying throat. "I am hardly ever sure about anything."

"Except that you're in love with me,"

"Y-yes, I suppose that one thing I am sure of. "

"Then show me," Quinn slowly brought her eyes down. They landed on her lips before moving back up. "Show me how it feels to love me,"

The request snaked down Rachel's spine and flicked on every nerve it could find, and Rachel moved. She moved instantly because when asked by Quinn Fabray you had no choice but to comply.

She saw her fingers shake as she brought her hand up, letting it rest on Quinn's cheek. Hazel eyes fluttered shut, the softest of sighs leaving Quinn's lips as she waited. Rachel stared at pink lips, slightly parted and awaiting hers. They were lips Rachel had heard such terrible taunts fall from but they were also lips that spoke sorrow and worry and need that was all for Rachel. It was always all for Rachel, and now finally she could give those lips what she always wanted.

Rachel sat up, closing the chasm of a distance between them. She felt Quinn's breath warm and gentle on her face as she leaned in, tongue darting out to lick her own lips before they met the awaiting pair.

"Rachel," Quinn breathed in that syrupy voice, sending another jolt through Rachel. "Show me," Rachel pressed their mouths together, slowly and carefully but it was just enough to make whatever it was that had swam down her spine to erupt in her stomach. And she was lost.

Her hand slid back, hooking around Quinn's neck to crush them closer. But it still didn't seem like enough. Just like Quinn only needing her had never felt like enough. She had wanted her, always wanted her, and now was her chance to show just how much.

But it was Quinn's tongue that grazed across Rachel's lower lip, willing them open and permission to taste. Rachel bit back the sound that threatened to rise up in her throat and sing as their tongues touched. It was so much. It was too much. Rachel felt a grip on her hips where Quinn had grasped on, holding her rooted or else Rachel was certain she'd float away.

Silky blonde hair seeped between her fingers as she held on, mapping out the cavern of Quinn's mouth with tongue. Learning how sharp each tooth was and the way it made Quinn's hands tighten and chest hum when Rachel lapped the roof of her mouth.

It was the mouth Rachel had known and never really knew and she wanted to. She wanted to know all of it, of the hands grabbing her hips, and of the tightness she could hold onto Quinn's hair until she hissed.

"Rachel," Quinn hummed, grasping tighter onto Rachel's hips as her fingers scratched Quinn's scalp.

Every bit of Rachel was singing. She could hear her blood, could hear down even to her bones, lifting up some sort of song that bubbled, forcing something, anything, to her lips. It forced something out because something needed to be let go. It needed to ring and so Rachel allowed her body to take control and herself to part just a breath away from Quinn to mutter,

"I love you," Quinn said nothing. "I love you," Rachel repeated. Quinn only kissed her again, sucking those words off her lips and devouring them.

Rachel let her. She let Quinn kiss her and kiss her deep. She let Quinn feel how she had felt about her for so long. It was such a deep affection Rachel was certain had Quinn asked her to explain it, Rachel couldn't. She couldn't put words to it just the same as she couldn't for her dads. But this, Rachel thought as she felt her eyes start to water in the euphoria of it all, was everything she had been trying to say and never could.

"Quinn," Rachel broke away from her, panting with hands still in her hair and eyes wide and glossy. She stared straight into Quinn's burning hazel eyes. "Be with me,"

"I don't know," Quinn grasped Rachel's wrists, holding her hands in place. "I don't know if I can right now,"

"Why else?" Rachel switched from one blazing, caramel eye to the other. "Aside from your mom and everything else, why else?"

Quinn's head dropped, her grip on her arms going slack then dropped away. "I've hurt so many people,"

"Do you love me?" asked Rachel. She took Quinn's face in her hands, bringing her head back up to look into her face. "Do you love me?"

"I need you," Quinn brushed away a stray tear. Rachel begged herself not to cry. Not right now. She knew Quinn would take it as her being hurt for the tiny rejection. But it was only because she was that much closer. "That's all I know,"

"And you needed Dana and you needed Charlie," Rachel pressed. "You got them didn't you? And you had always tried to keep them. We're no different - I'm no different. Why would you doubt yourself?"

Quinn took in a long breath, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before she said anything else. "Everything is still so confusing and things are still a mess,"

"I know," and she did know. Rachel had been watching it on the outside since freshmen year waiting. Just waiting for a moment to step in and do more. Now she could. "I'll always be here for you,"

"You always have been,"

Rachel leaned in, her forehead resting on Quinn's. Her thumbs stroked across her cheeks erasing the few tears that trickled down them. "So we take it slow,"

Quinn shook her head. "Is that even possible?"

Rachel felt herself laugh softly. "Quinn, I have waited for you to even take a moment to look my way since freshmen year. It won't kill me to take things painfully slow if it means we can be together."

Quinn drew back, so Rachel's hands peeled away from her cheeks "What if things never get better?"

Rachel took Quinn's hands again, holding them between the two of them. "Then we'll never move past first base,"

"Oh, god," Quinn laughed, face lighting up pink. Rachel felt her stomach flutter at hearing. It had been too long since Quinn laughed. "It's that easy, hm?"

She brought a hand up, brushing Quinn's knuckles across her lips. "I've already told you that I love you, and I honestly don't see that changing anytime soon. However if you-"

"Yes,"

Rachel gaped. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Yes, Rachel," Quinn smiled, sheepishly. "I'll be with you."

Warm lips were on hers again, soft and hesitant and testing unlike the first one. It was Quinn this time expressing everything in the slow way her lips moved along Rachel's and the way her mouth opened just enough, having Rachel work to gain her trust and permission to go any further.

Rachel kept her hands still as she let Quinn regain confidence against her lips. It tested her and Rachel made sure Quinn knew how careful she would go about this. She wasn't in a rush. She wasn't aiming for the lustful passion of skin on skin and roaming hands. Right now, Rachel just wanted to love Quinn in the way she had always wanted. To be there for her.

"Slow," Quinn spoke breaking from her for a moment to catch a breath.

Rachel brushed back blonde hair from hazel eyes. "You lead, I'll follow," she assured her, reinforcing it with another gentle kiss.

The ding of the doorbell caused them both to jump apart. Rachel got up, leaving Quinn in her room. Her heart beat wildly as she bounded down the stairs and turned the lock on her door and threw it open.

Rachel felt her face thumb through expressions like a flip book until it landed on one of stunned confusion. She blinked up into light brown eyes that stared down at her with worry and uncertainty. It was strange to see, because the few times Rachel had seen Shelby Corcoran, her face was always fixed into a cold and collected mask that made even Rachel shudder.

She swallowed, eyes blinking. "May I help you?"

"Hello, Rachel," her voice shook. Just barely so, but Rachel heard it. "I'm Shelby-"

"Corcoran. Director of Vocal Adrenaline, yes I know." Her brow creased, looking past Shelby to the car parked on the curb then back to the woman. "Is there something I can help you with? And how is it that you know my name?"

Shelby took turns from staring into one of Rachel's eyes to the next. Each time, made Rachel that much more anxious as they grew glossier and sad. "I have known your name since the day you were born, Rachel."

"I'm sorry?" Rachel choked, mind locking onto those words and completely missing the sound of Quinn calling her name from inside the house.

"There's no end to the laws I'm breaking by doing this," Shelby laughed uncomfortably. She looked back over her shoulder before staring down at Rachel with renewed determination. "But I couldn't stand it any longer."

"Ms. Corcoran, I'm afraid I don't understand what you're talking about."

"You were born seventeen years ago at Grant Medical Center in Columbus," said Shelby, looking down at her fumbling hands at her stomach. "You were five weeks premature. The doctor's didn't think you were going to make it."

"How-" Rachel felt the color in her face drain, missing Quinn's steps coming up behind her. "How do you know that?"

"Rachel," Shelby took in a breath, holding Rachel's gaze. "Rachel, I'm your mother,"

The last thing Rachel remembered was Quinn slamming the front door on that face that resembled hers in a way Rachel had never noticed before and slender arms catching her before her knees gave out.

_fin._


End file.
